Yiming Yang (26), a Marketing and Organizational Communication student with a minor in graphic design at PLNU, stood on campus during Welcome Week alongside someone who had already walked through life with him, fellow Marine Xiaoyu Jiang (26), a Finance student.
While many students were just beginning their college journey, Yiming and Xiaoyu were continuing one that had started years earlier in the Marine Corps, a journey shaped by service, strengthened through friendship, and ultimately transformed by faith.
To tell that story, Yiming begins at the beginning, long before PLNU.
Yiming’s journey did not begin in a classroom, but in the Marine Corps. His service started in 2012, a time marked by discipline, uncertainty, and growth. Over the years, the Marine Corps shaped him through structure, responsibility, and a strong sense of purpose. Eventually, he was stationed at HMLAT-303, a helicopter training squadron at MCAS Camp Pendleton. The squadron’s mission was to train pilots and aircrew for the fleet, preparing them for real-world operations. It was an environment that demanded precision, teamwork, and constant readiness.
In September 2017, Xiaoyu Jiang checked into HMLAT-303 as a junior Marine. The moment Yiming saw him, he was reminded of his own first days in the squadron. He knew how overwhelming it could feel to step into a new command, especially in such a structured and demanding environment. Because of that, he felt a natural responsibility to help Xiaoyu adjust.
At the time, Xiaoyu did not have a car, which made life outside of work more difficult. So on weekends, Yiming often brought him along with a few other Chinese friends. They would go to Chinese restaurants, share meals that reminded them of home, and visit Chinese supermarkets to prepare for the week ahead. What seemed like simple routines became meaningful moments of connection. In a setting where everything else was rigid and demanding, those moments brought comfort and familiarity.
Through those shared experiences, their friendship began to grow. What started as helping a new Marine gradually became a genuine bond. They supported each other not only in practical ways, but also emotionally as they navigated the challenges of military life together.
In early 2018, Yiming transferred from HMLAT-303 to MCAS Miramar. Even though they were no longer stationed together, their friendship remained strong. Whenever Xiaoyu came down to San Diego from Oceanside, they made time to meet, whether over a meal or simply to catch up. Distance did not weaken their friendship. If anything, it strengthened their commitment to stay connected.
After completing his military service on October 12, 2020, Yiming stepped into a new phase of life by starting his own real estate business. At first, his focus was entirely on building that business, and he did not plan to return to school.
However, everything began to change after he came to faith and was baptized on August 21, 2021. That moment was not just symbolic. It marked a shift in how he viewed his life and purpose. His faith became something he wanted to integrate into every area of his life, including his work and relationships.
As his faith grew, Yiming felt a strong desire to share it with others, especially with those who had walked closely with him through earlier seasons of life. Xiaoyu was one of those people. At the time, Xiaoyu was still serving in the Marine Corps, and Yiming began inviting him to fellowship whenever he was available. He wanted Xiaoyu not just to hear about faith, but to experience it in community.
That invitation became part of a larger turning point in both of their lives. Yiming made the decision to attend PLNU so he could further his education while intentionally integrating Christian values into his future. After hearing about this decision, Xiaoyu also began thinking about his next steps. Not long after completing his service, he chose to enroll at PLNU in Fall 2020 as well.
Standing together again during Welcome Week felt like a full circle moment. They were no longer just Marines navigating military life, but students stepping into a new chapter with shared history and renewed purpose.
At PLNU, they pursued different areas within business. Xiaoyu studied Finance, while Yiming focused on Marketing and Organizational Communication, along with a minor in graphic design. They took some classes together, studied alongside one another, and continued to support each other academically.
More importantly, their friendship deepened spiritually. They began regularly attending fellowship and Sunday services together, building consistent rhythms that grounded their lives in faith. What once started as an invitation gradually became a shared commitment.
On November 16, 2025, Xiaoyu was baptized. That moment carried deep meaning for Yiming. He had seen Xiaoyu’s journey from the beginning, from their early days in the Marine Corps to that step of faith. It was a reminder that transformation often unfolds over time, through consistent relationships and God’s timing.
Today, both Yiming and Xiaoyu are first-generation Christians in their families, something neither of them could have imagined when they first met in 2017.
Now, as they prepare to graduate from PLNU this coming May, their paths are beginning to take new directions. Xiaoyu has been accepted into New York University for graduate school and plans to move to New York City to pursue the next stage of his career. Yiming will continue growing his real estate investment business while preparing to apply for an MBA or a Master’s in Real Estate at the University of San Diego.
Although their paths are leading them to different places, the foundation of their friendship remains the same. It is rooted in shared experience, strengthened through challenge, and shaped by faith.
Looking back, what began as a simple act of helping a new Marine has become a lasting friendship marked by purpose and growth. From the structure of military life to the freedom of pursuing their calling, they have walked through each season together.
And in many ways, this is only the beginning.
