AEASP 2025 Scholar Keanu Hua

Keanu Hua is a Vietnamese-American majoring in Economics Mathematical Theory and Applied Statistics at California State University, Long Beach. Throughout his family's time in the US, the nearby community college of Golden West College has always been a presence in helping educate his family, from himself to the generation before. In honor of that significance, his main interests in economics are the economic consequences and designs of community colleges and their non-transfer pathways, such as dual enrollment, certificates, and especially the rising popularity — and question — of community college bachelor's degrees.

Beyond economics, Keanu Hua's wild curiosity often draws him to other departments on his campus, such as English, History, and Anthropology, all fields that help him tell and understand the stories that economic questions arise from and lead to. He is also a published, award-winning short story writer, and writes under the pen name of Thụy Verndara.