See the Lord grew out of a daughter’s desire to live out her mother’s wishes. In 2011, Kelly Kao was inspired by a vision of her late mother encouraging her to combine the three things Kelly is most passionate about (healthcare, spreading God’s word, and education) into something she could share with others. Since then, the organization has grown from 3 members at its start in 2011 to 50 members and completed 29 mission trips by 2018.

As the the past CEO of STL, Kelly oversaw and implemented operations both internationally and domestically. She enjoyed going out on the field for mission trips and also training other trip leaders. Her goal for STL is for its services to one day be accessible in any country by anyone at anytime, so that anyone who has not witnessed the unconditional love of God can see Him through our ministry.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with Honors from the University of California, Davis and a Doctor of Optometry with Honors from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry. Kelly is a past faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry. She is currently practicing in a private clinic in Mountain View, CA at STL Optometry (which stands for “See the Light” and is the offshoot of See the Lord). STL Optometry is a clinic dedicated to promoting goodness by sending doctors on missions, supporting companies that donate glasses to the underserved, and mentoring the next generation of eye care professionals.

As an early member of See the Lord, Henry Shu helped with the initial work of establishing the non-profit organization. Now he serves as Chief Financial Officer and as a board member. Henry is a trained scientist who contributed to healthcare through basic research in the labs for many years. Inspired by Kelly’s tenacious faith in doing what God was calling her to do, he decided to join See The Lord. He considers it providential that, just as he returned from business school, he was able to use his MBA right away for something that makes people’s lives better while also spreading the faith. Outside of STL, he teaches Sunday school and is involved with high school youth ministry at San Jose Chinese Catholic Mission.

Henry holds a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from The University of Texas at San Antonio. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and working in the yard, and he is currently training for his fifth marathon.

Erica Liao is Secretary of See the Lord and also serves on the Board of Directors. She documents meeting minutes, interacts with new volunteers, and helps make decisions that guide the mission of the organization. From a young age, Erica has been heavily involved with Catholic ministry, serving as a lector and Bible study leader. It brings her great joy to be able to use her talents to serve God, which is why she loves volunteering for STL. She earned her Bachelor’s in Management Science at UCSD and is currently working on her Master's in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University. Outside of schoolwork, Erica loves singing, playing guitar, basketball, and enjoying a good steak.

Jean Young brings her strong corporate background and volunteerism to See The Lord as the VP of Public Relations and a board member. She loves that STL melds international service abroad with missionary work in the Catholic faith, and she enjoys being able to work with all the board members. Jean has worked in corporate finance for the past 12 years, and worked in campaign development for the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart in Los Angeles. She’s also volunteered with the Missionaries of Charity in Haiti and Peru. One of the most amazing experiences of her life was taking a year off in 2012 to travel the world; she got to see Pope Benedict five times, tour castles in France, and scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef.

Crystal Wang leads the Recruitment Team, which reaches out to optometrists, pre-optometry clubs, optometry schools, and other health clubs at universities to encourage more volunteers to join See The Lord. Crystal went on the STL inaugural trip to Taiwan in 2012, and soon after jumped at the opportunity to become more involved as an officer. One of her most touching encounters happened on the Summer 2014 trip, when she met a mentally disabled young man who was almost completely blind due to a car accident. Though the team couldn’t provide help because the condition was irreversible, he was grateful for the medical care, and allowed Crystal and all the other optometry students to examine him. His mother thanked them with tears in her eyes.

Crystal graduated from the University of California Berkeley School of Optometry (UCBSO) and completed her Vision Rehabilitation residency at the University of Houston College of Optometry. She currently resides in the Bay Area working as an assistant clinical professor at UCBSO and providing vision rehabilitation/primary care services at STL Optometry. Her favorite activities include watching movies/musicals, exercising in the form of running/pilates/kickboxing, and praying in adoration. She dreams of someday owning a Poodle mix named Xiao Long Bau. 

As See the Lord’s Vice President of Human Resources, Judy Chang assists with HR programs and policies, creates current volunteer processes, and develops recruiting activities, among other responsibilities. In July 2014, Judy went on a STL mission trip to an early development center in Kaohsiung. She describes it as the “most amazing experience,” as her interactions with the children there opened her eyes to the innocence and sincerity we often lose as we grow older. An adventurer at heart, Judy has been skydiving, scuba diving, and in 2014, she visited a new city or country almost every two months.

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Ritzi Lam provides legal counsel to See The Lord. After witnessing Kelly’s commitment to improve people’s physical and spiritual lives, Ritzi was moved to join the organization. As a lifelong Catholic, Ritzi has been active in various Catholic ministries, including teaching catechism. Her current law practice includes estate planning, trust, and civil litigation.

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