Xiaoyan Sun earns U.S. citizenship

Many a talent make The Wine Company this special endeavor, but few keep the wheels on the bus and the lights on like Xiaoyan Sun [SHE-ow-yahn Swen].

So much more than gifted controller, Xiaoyan proves as vital as she is irreplaceable both personally and to the business every day.

Xiaoyan may be a long way from her hometown of Qingdao in China’s Shandong Province but she has set deep roots in this land of opportunity.

She first visited the U.S. in September of 1999 as a cultural representative in Orlando, Florida and within a year, Xiaoyan picked up her life to move north to Saint Paul, Minnesota to attend University of St Thomas.

Xiaoyan was drawn to the USA as a country full of dreams where luck and hard work could make her dreams come true. This determination set to work right away when she started at The Wine Company in October of 2003. Within a year she made a home away from home in Roseville.

        

The Wine Company soon proved much more than mere workplace. “We are a big family” describes Xiaoyan, “and I am very lucky and honored to be part of it. Love and passion exist beyond countries, races, colors or languages.”

This family welcomed her with open arms from the very start and when opportunity struck, Larry and Robbin made a point to return to China with Xiaoyan in May of 2006 to explore opportunities for The Wine Company, to get to know her homeland and to foster a deeper understanding of the culture.

      

In December of 2014, Xiaoyan started her own family giving birth to twin boys “which was truly a blessing to my family.” These two also grew our Wine Co family inspiring joy and laughter wherever they go.

The biggest challenge was that grandparents and relatives live so far away, “but we are rewarded by the people around us and that the USA is indeed a paradise for children as they are able to grow up with freedom, the diversity of many cultures, and the ability to engage with nature.” Her boys begin kindergarten this fall.

Although she misses her family and “the smell of the ocean and the fresh seafood (crabs, clams and Mantis shrimps)” from her hometown, Xiaoyan loves living here because she can lead her own life as she wishes to live.

As a new citizen, Xiaoyan’s goal is to raise her boys with an appreciation for the world around them. Even though they at their birth became U.S. citizens before Xiaoyan, they might otherwise remain unaware of the gifts all around them if not for their mother’s care. Instead Xiaoyan aims to share the values of this land and her love for the community she has found and fosters here with us.

Please join us in congratulating Xiaoyan and her family! Welcome to America!