What's in a Name?
My Chinese name is 曾悦慈. I was born on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, which is a Catholic celebration of the day the Angel Gabriel came down to Mary to announce that she would be giving birth to the Son of God. The words “悦慈” comes from a line in the Magnificat, a prayer Mary says praising God. The word “悦” means “rejoice” and “慈” means “God’s blessings and mercy”. I consider myself a happy, joyful person who likes to appreciate the blessings in my life, so I think this name fits me pretty well My first name in English is “Isabel” which means “Beautiful” as well as “Devoted to God” which goes along with the theme of my birthday being on the Annunciation.
My last name is “曾” which means “great”. Even though it is “Zeng” in Mandarin, it is pronounced “Chan” in Fukienese, which is why that is my last name.
Hello all! My name is Isabel Chan (曾悅慈) and I’m super excited to be part of the Miss Chinese Chicago Pageant! I graduated from the University of Notre Dame where I studied Marketing and Chinese and I currently work in financial services. I’m currently an admin and event organizer for Subtle Asian Chicago and a volunteer for Chinese Mutual Aid Association with their Young Women Warrior’s Mentorship Program. I have met so many amazing and wonderful people through my involvement in the Chicago Asian Community!
Growing up, despite being one of the few Asians in my class, I always tried to stay involved with my culture and heritage, whether that be attending Chicago North Chinese School, going to Chinatown’s St Therese Catholic Church for Mandarin Mass, volunteering as a camp counselor for both WCEO’s Chinese Cultural Camp and Summer AID Camp in Taiwan, dancing Tinikling and Pandanggo in our school’s cultural shows, studying abroad in Shanghai, visiting my family in Taiwan, Philippines and China, and being on the Ex Co Board for Notre Dame’s Asian American Association and Taiwanese Student Association. In college, I also worked as a Chinatown tour guide for the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute where I got to learn and teach others about Chicago Chinatown’s beautiful history.
Through my platform, I hope to educate the youth in our Asian community on financial literacy. This is an important need, especially for kids from low income or immigrant families, because many of us are not always given the intergenerational wealth or knowledge to make the best decisions for our financial future. In July, I will be running a Financial Literacy Workshop for the Chinese Mutual Aid Association’s Youth Summer Camp on topics such as credit cards, savings, and budgeting to help kids understand money better.
In the past, I have been awarded both the Daily Herald Leadership Award and the Asian Pacific Alumni Board Distinguished Student Award for my dedication to service and bettering the community, and I hope I can continue my passion for helping others by serving in Miss Chinese Chicago. This pageant has not only helped me to find my inner voice and confidence, but I have met so many amazing and beautiful women here who want to make a positive impact in the world. I truly believe that no matter how different we may feel and be, we all have something special to offer to this world. I hope to be a role model for young Asian American girls to celebrate their differences and give them the courage to be themselves.
Fun Facts:
- I love to sing! My favorite place to sing is Sakura Karaoke Bar and I like to karaoke to anything Bruno Mars. Come sing a song with me!
- I love Broadway Musicals and I have an addiction for lining up for Day of Box Office Rush Tickets. My favorite musical is Phantom of the Opera and I have watched it twice, in Chicago and New York!
- I have been playing piano since I was a kid and I played in the jazz band in high school. If you name a pop song, I can try to play it for you by ear!
- I sprained my ankle earlier this February and had to wear a boot for a while. Rehabilitating my ankle back to normal has been a huge challenge but happy to say that I’ll be walking in heels on stage this August!
- I used to be a Chicago Chinatown Tour Guide for the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute! My favorite spot is the Chinatown Mural. Hit me up if you ever want to learn the amazing history of Chinatown!
- I love trying new foods and I created an Asian Chicago Food Bingo Card with recommendations from my friend to support local Asian restaurants around the Chicagoland area. If you would like a copy, let me know!
- Some of my meetups for Subtle Asian Chicago include Kpop Dance, Acapella Singing, Karaoke, KBBQ, Girls Happy Hour and reading books by Asian Authors with the Asian Book Gang!