Another milestone indeed.
LOOK: Jo Koy awarded an honorary doctorate by Cal State LA
Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy recently received an honorary Doctorate from the California State University in Los Angeles.
The prestigious University shared the news on their Instagram during the graduation ceremony.
"Comedian. Actor. Storyteller. Now… Dr. Jo Koy. At Ceremony 8, @jokoy received his first honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts and shared an emotional message of resilience, identity, and pride with the Class of 2025," Cal State LA wrote in the caption.
Jo Koy highlighted in his speech how hard it was for him growing up in a time when Asian-American representation in media was scarce.
"It's 36 years. It started 1989. [I was] 18 years old, you watch TV, you don't have many people who inspire you especially if you are a mixed kid trying to fight for his identity. I didn't have many to look up on TV for inspiration so it was hard. It was not easy getting where you wanna go," Jo Koy said in his speech.
"It takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of sacrifices, it takes a lot of falling flat on your face and sometimes in those moments when you fall flat on your face that's when you find out who you really are. That's when you like, 'Okay, I can do this,'" he added.
At the end of his speech, Jo Koy reminded all the students that through the midst of hardship and struggle that's when you see the inspiration and passion to work on your dream.
"That's when you build the grit, and the heart, and the strength to keep pushing," he stated.
Born to an American father and Filipino mother, Jo Koy starred in several comedy specials on Netflix including "Jo Koy: Live from Seattle," "Jo Koy: In His Elements," and "Jo Koy: Live from Brooklyn," among others.
The Hollywood film "The Last Resort," which was shot in the Philippines, will feature the Filipino-American comedian.
His sequences in the film were recently shot in Palawan.