Alumna Works Double Time on TV

Luyi Khasi ’00 (B.A. communications) feels like she’s running her own department store as she chooses merchandise for sale on the Chinese-language Super Value Channel based in Southern California.

“I’ve sold everything from beauty products and vitamins to books and computers,” says Khasi, who not only showcases the products in front of the camera, but also conducts interviews and writes scripts. Her hands are often seen on the air modeling products, and she jokes, “Maybe I should get them insured!”

Hand modeling and the luxury of shopping and getting paid for it is only half of Khasi’s television career: She is also a reporter and does public relations and marketing for Sky Link TV, a Chinese-language station broadcasting local and international news, dramas and sitcoms. Being fluent in both Chinese and English allows her to be involved in almost every department at the station.

Born in Indonesia, Khasi moved to Taiwan when she was 10. She came to California to attend Cal State Fullerton because of its communications program. She also earned a master’s in education in the Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages program, and helps others advance their careers in the United States with a better command of the language. “I continue to take advantage of my multicultural and multilingual background to contribute to society,” she says.

Combining her public speaking and language skills Khasi served as in interpreter for President Bill Clinton at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup where she served as an ambassador. “I can still feel the butterflies from being nervous on that remarkable day,” she says. “It was like a movie—having a conversation with the president.”
Today, Khasi zips between the two television stations and is enjoying a taste of celebrity herself. When she’s out and about viewers recognize her from the small screen, but, she says, “My mother is my biggest fan.”