Stanley Woo’s involvement in FCSN began in 2004 when an FCSN founder and friend invited him to join the construction team for FCSN’s first “Dream Center” in Fremont. Woo, his friend believed, would be an excellent asset for the team: his background in construction could make up for the team’s lack of practical building experience. 

Long before the FCSN projects began, Woo embarked on his construction journey by taking the college entrance exam in Taiwan. Back then, the majors were split into four distinct categories based on test score: Group A for engineering and science, Group B for literature and art, Group C for medical, and Group D for law and business. Prior to taking the exam, Woo had already chosen engineering. As fate would have it, his test score allowed him to attend Taiwan University, which has the best engineering program in the nation. He then went to graduate school in UC Berkeley, where he studied civil engineering with a focus on earthquake-resistant buildings. 

For FCSN’s first building project, the East Bay (Chenming & Margaret Hu) Center, Woo’s company was originally invited to be the general contractor. However, due to conflicts with his personal business partner, who was not involved with FCSN, Woo decided to join the FCSN construction committee individually. Instead of working as the general contractor, Woo ultimately oversaw ACON Builders Construction, the company later selected as the general contractor. Construction of the center began once the logistics had been settled: FCSN’s construction team gave instructions to the contractors, who presented proposals. After reviewing the proposals, Woo then worked with the contractors to establish a reasonable cost and time based on the situation. In this way, Woo ensured that effort and resources were allocated efficiently, which he believes is his major contribution.

The East Bay Center proved to be successful in multiple ways: not only did it serve as FCSN’s headquarters for more than 20 years, but it also provided valuable experience for future endeavors. Armed with the expertise from his first project, Woo went on to help remodel a commercial building into the South Bay Center, which suited FCSN’s needs even better than the East Bay Center: “I think we have a better understanding of what the future will need. For the first [East Bay] center we didn’t quite understand what people [would need] in the future, and it turned out it was too small.” Woo added that feedback from FCSN staff and volunteers helped with the project, since they spend the most time in the building.

Though Woo worked on all 3 of the FCSN centers, he is most proud of the Osgood Center. Initially, this center housed after school programs. The construction team wanted to preserve the structure of the building, but they also wanted it to have a unique personality, so they got the city’s permission to paint the building yellow. To intensify the building’s airy atmosphere, the team also installed high ceilings. 

The Osgood project, like its two precursors, was a success, but Woo still believes some aspects could have been improved upon. For example, the construction committee started planning the project in December 2021, but during 2022 and 2023, inflation had risen to around 6 to 7 percent. Woo stated, “If we did the construction a year earlier, it would’ve been cheaper.” He added that there were many elements out of the construction team’s control: “It takes about a year to get a city permit, get the building checked, and issue the building permit…but within the parameters, you do the best you can to try to control the budget and make sure everything’s complete within the schedule.” 

If FCSN had an unlimited budget, Woo would expand the Osgood Center so that there would be more space for kids and activities. He uses a house metaphor to describe the constant need for more space. “When you move into a house, you always have [enough] space. But when you stay there for five years, all the space is taken up. The same thing [is true] for building a brand new center. First there is plenty of available space for different things, but after the center is finished, the space is always fully taken.” 

A key member of the team during construction of the South Bay and Osgood Centers was Jeffrey Woo, Woo’s elder son. After Jeffrey joined his father’s real estate business in 2016, Woo realized that Jeffrey’s background in electrical engineering could help bring a new, fresh perspective to the construction committee. “I would like to share [Jeffrey’s] experience with younger generations,” Woo says, emphasizing that Jeffrey’s education and career prepared him not only for his field of choice—the high-tech industry—but also countless other interdisciplinary projects including real estate and construction.

Woo finds his motivation to volunteer for FCSN in hearing FCSN families’ stories and experiencing the joy of teamwork: “[As] with many [other] non-profit organizations that I have been involved in the past, I am mostly inspired by the people… at FCSN. It is always my goal to contribute back to the community with what I have learned in my profession.” He encourages fellow volunteers to incorporate teamwork into other aspects of their lives, not just volunteering. “Achieving success by yourself is great. However, achieving success as a team member is much more meaningful. As long as all team members align the goal and objective with each other, moving toward a success is much easier to achieve.”

At the moment, Woo has already begun working on another project for FCSN: the Osgood Courtyard Improvement Project, which aims to remodel the Osgood Center’s yard into a recreational area for FCSN students. Though he expects the project to be completed in mid-May, he is already looking forward to the next volunteer opportunity, and hopefully many others after it. “I will be more than happy to volunteer on any building or construction projects for FCSN in the future,” he says.