1. Please tell us a little about yourself!
I graduated in 2015 with a double major in Chemistry and Chinese Language. I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area.
2. Why did you decide to become a Chinese Language and Culture major? How did it shape your experience at Wellesley?
I grew up speaking Mandarin at home with my parents who immigrated from Taiwan in the 70s. Most of my family still remains in Taiwan and Mainland China, so language was essential to communicate with them. When my mother died while I was in high school, I became deeply invested in improving my Mandarin skills, as it felt like language was one of my few remaining ties to her. I ended up enjoying my classes and experiences in the EALC department so much that I majored and worked as a department tutor for four semesters.
3. What are you doing now?
I work as a Sales Enablement Program Manager at a software company in San Francisco.
4. How has your Wellesley experience and your minor influenced your life/career after college?
I moved to Shanghai after graduation and lived there for 1 year working at NYU Shanghai as a teaching assistant in the Chemistry department. Before moving to China, I always thought that, as a Chinese American, I was well-versed in Chinese culture. Living in Shanghai taught me that modern China is very different than the diaspora experience. Chinese courses at Wellesley gave me the language skills and critical framework to develop a more rigorous understanding of a lot of the books, movies, and other media that make up the modern Chinese experience. It was fun to talk with my Shanghainese roommate about Chinese books and TV that I first learned about in class! I don’t have many opportunities to use my degrees in my current position, but I’m deeply grateful for how Wellesley shaped my understanding of the world.
