In the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world. The Orange County Superior Court was closed for a period of time until it resumed operations in June to handle major cases. Judges and prosecutors amassed huge backlogs. Veteran Prosecutor Cyril Yu was no exception. As IUSD parent in the face of the pandemic, Yu originally had no thought of running for Board Member. However, changes were taking place in the election. Many friends familiar with the IUSD encouraged him to enter the race, and he managed to hand in the paperwork the day before the deadline.
Although his decision to run was made rather hurriedly, Cyril immediately received the strong endorsement of the four incumbent Board Members. The California School Employees Association and the Irvine Teachers Association also threw their support behind him right away.
In the November election, Cyril Yu received over 45% of the votes from the Third District, and on December 15, he was sworn in, becoming the first Chinese American Board Member of the IUSD.
Cyril Yu was born in the Bay Area of San Francisco. His parents, You-heng Yu and Cui-ping Cheng, immigrated from Hong Kong. Both were alumni of UC Berkeley, going on to successful careers in banking and computer science, respectively. They had high expectations of their children. Cyril started piano and flute lessons in grade school; attended Chinese school in Chinatown, San Francisco. The language spoken at home was Cantonese.
Later, Cyril moved to Los Angeles and transferred to eighth grade in the public school system. With the encouragement of his parents, he continued going to Chinese school, and started to learn Mandarin. After his marriage, because his wife, Xin-Yi Lee, came from a Taiwanese immigrant family, he also had an opportunity to become acquainted with Taiwanese culture and the Taiwan dialect.
Cyril Yu completed his Bachelor’s in Political Science at UC Berkeley in three years; then went on to earn the Juris Doctor degree from its Hastings School of Law.
Since joining the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in 2002, Yu has been named Prosecutor of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). He has served as volunteer lecturer with the Irvine Police’s training sessions.
Because his two daughters both attended the Irvine Chinese School, Cyril Yu joined the SCCCA Board of Directors in 2013, and served for six years as Director. From 2014-2016, he served as Chairman of the Board. Also, from 2014 through 2017, Cyril Yu served as an IUSD finance committee member to advise on budget planning. He was instrumental in getting the voters to pass proposition E in 2016 so that, through bond issuance, IUSD could obtain in four installments funding of $300 million to upgrade buildings and equipment in its 28 schools.
In his role as Board Member over the past months, Yu has visited the 30+ schools in the District, its central kitchen, transport and maintenance departments. He has met the principal of each school, seen the particular administrative style of each, fully reflecting their neighborhood as well as the parents’ and students’ expectations of the school.
Cyril Yu also realized that many factors contribute to IUSD’s high reputation. Not only is there a strong instructional corps, the work of the support staff should not be minimized. There are over 35,000 students in the district. The District employs nurses, guidance counsellors, chefs, plumbers, electricians to serve the teachers and students. There is even a technician who specializes in maintenance of musical instruments so that the music teachers need not worry.
Cyril Yu explained that, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal and State Governments have increased appropriations to local school districts. Not only does IUSD provide free nutritious lunches, it is using these special appropriations to upgrade the District’s STEM equipment, hire more nurses, counsellors and teaching assistants to help students cope with the many challenges brought by the pandemic.
Since becoming a Board Member of IUSD, Cyril’s schedule has become even more packed, but he takes it in stride. He feels that, having been in the District Attorney’s office for so long, things might have assumed a routine. Being a Board member for him is a new opportunity to serve and learn more about K-12 public education. As the only new member among the five on the Board, he feels more ready to give it his all to foster an ideal educational environment for all students. (English translation by Sally Feng)
Cyril Yu, the first Chinese American Board Member of the IUSD, invited IUSD board members to celebrate Lunar New Year at ICS in 2018
爾灣學區首位華裔教委余凱澤，邀請學區教委參加爾灣中文學校2018年農曆新年慶祝活動
(以下文字摘錄自《爾灣華裔紀實1971-2021》一書)
2020 年新冠疫情衝擊全球，橙縣高等法院一度關閉，到六月才恢復受理重大案件，法官和檢察官 都有成堆積壓案件待辦，橙縣資深檢察官余凱澤也不例外。作為爾灣學區家長的余凱澤，面對突來的疫情，原本並無意參選學區教委。然而，由於教委選情變化，多位熟悉爾灣學區的朋友鼓勵下，他把握時機，在候選人登記截止前一天，完成遞交文件程序。
在來自社區的殷切期盼中，儘管參選決定作得倉促，余凱澤立刻得到爾灣學區四位現任學區教委的強力背書， 加州學校員工協會（California School Employees Association）及爾灣學區教師協會（Irvine Teachers Association）也立即跟進支持。
果然，余凱澤不負眾望，在 2020 年 11 月爾灣學區第三選區教委選舉中，以超過 45%的得票率當選， 並於 12 月 15 日宣誓就職，成為爾灣學區首位華裔教委。
出生在舊金山灣區的余凱澤，父親余有恆及母親鄭翠萍自香港移民來美，兩人都是加州大學柏克萊分校畢業生，在銀行業及電腦界各有所成，他們對子女期望很高，余凱澤從小學鋼琴、長笛，周末去舊金山華埠上中文學校，平日家中規定講粵語。
後來余凱澤隨家人遷居洛杉磯南灣，轉入當地公立學校八年級，並在父母鼓勵下繼續上中文學校，開始學普通話。婚後，由於妻子李欣怡來自台灣移民家庭，讓他也有機會接觸台灣文化及台語。
獲加州大學柏克萊分校政治學學士及法學博士 JD 學位後，余凱澤於 2002 年加入橙縣檢察長辦公室迄今， 曾獲媽媽反酒駕組織（Mothers Against Drunk Driving，簡稱 MADD）選為年度檢察官。他還義務為爾灣警局擔任警官在職訓練講師，也曾獲爾灣警局頒獎表揚。
由於兩個女兒都就讀爾灣中文學校，余凱澤與南海岸中華文化協會（South Coast Chinese Cultural Association，SCCCA） 結緣，並自 2013 年起獲選加入SCCCA 理事會，一直到 2019 年連續六年擔任理事一職，其中並於 2014 年到 2016 年擔任理事長，對內給理事會帶來實事求是的作風，對外為南海岸中華文化協會樹立新形象。
2014 年至 2017 年余凱澤獲任命為爾灣學區財務諮詢委員，為爾灣學區規畫預算及經費，並於 2016 年協助推動選民通過 E 提案，使爾灣學區能以發行公債方式分四期籌得三億餘元經費，用來改善 28 所學校的老舊校舍及設備。
身為五位教委中唯一的新人，余凱澤就任後幾個月內，已走訪學區內的 30 多所學校，及學區中央廚房、運輸、維修等部門，他看到每所學校的校長治校各有特色，充分反映出他們所代表的小區內，家長與學生對學校的期待。
余凱澤也發現，爾灣學區學生表現一直維持高水平，除了教師陣容堅強之外，支援學區運作的後勤部門功不可沒，爾灣學區學生總數超過三萬五千人，學區聘有護士、輔導員、廚師、水電工支援師生，還有一位專門維修樂器的技師，負責管理學區的弦樂、管樂及打擊樂器，讓音樂老師們沒有後顧之憂。
余凱澤指出，聯邦及州政府為因應新冠疫情，特別增加撥款給各地學區，爾灣學區除了全面提供免費營養午餐之外，也將撥款用來更新學區的科技設備， 並增聘護士、心理輔導師及助教，協助學生解決新冠疫情帶來的種種挑戰，讓這筆額外的教育經費發揮最大的功能。
出任爾灣學區教委以來，余凱澤原本近乎滿檔的行程，變得更加緊湊忙碌，他卻甘之如飴。他認為， 自己在檢察官辦公室待久了，容易習以為常，失去學習的衝勁，擔任學區教委是新的服務機會，讓他了解更多有關教育的議題，為下一代打造更理想的教育環境。（蕭迪玉撰文）