WMU alumni awarded prestigious Blue Cloud Award
NEW YORK—Generous Western Michigan University couple and southwest Michigan philanthropists Lynn Chen-Zhang, M.S.’91, and Charles Zhang, M.A.’91, have been honored with the Blue Cloud Award from the China Institute in America.
Named for the Chinese term blue cloud, which symbolizes virtue and aspiration, the prestigious national award recognizes visionaries who strengthen cultural and intellectual exchange between the U.S. and China in arts, business and philanthropy.
“The Blue Cloud Award holds a special place in our hearts because it celebrates what we have always believed: the bridge between East and West,” Chen-Zhang, who serves on the WMU Board of Trustees and on the WMU Foundation Board, told the audience at the awards ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 23, in New York. “In a world too often divided, the China Institute reminds us of what unites us: culture, learning and a shared responsibility to the future.”
Chen-Zhang, chief executive officer of wealth management firm Zhang Financial, and Zhang, the firm’s founder and president, are active supporters of education and the arts. Having immigrated to the U.S. with modest means, both the Zhangs believe their education opened the door to opportunity, and they have been dedicated to paying that forward at their alma mater and helping students realize their potential.
“We arrived with little more than two suitcases and a few hundred dollars, but we carried something far more valuable: our values—education, perseverance, integrity and responsibility,” says Zhang.
Together, the Zhangs have donated millions of dollars and offered mentorship and support to programs and facilities across Western Michigan University, including the Zhang Legacy Collections Center, Haworth College of Business, Medallion Scholarship Program, Heritage Hall, Miller Auditorium and the Academically Talented Youth Program in Lee Honors College.
Beyond the University, the Zhangs have championed a number of causes in the community, from the Kalamazoo Humane Society to Family & Children Services, the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids symphonies and the Portage Zhang Senior Center.
“As we look ahead, our hope is simple: that our work and philanthropy will continue to open doors and that our children and grandchildren will carry forward these same values,” says Chen-Zhang. “This award is not the end of our journey; it is a reminder to keep climbing together toward the blue clouds of a brighter future.”
The Zhangs join a distinguished list of past Blue Cloud Award honorees that includes former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, among others.
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.