BS: Economics and Statistics

Employer: CMC Capita, Shanghai

For a high school student who had been growing up in Beijing and had never been to the United States, applying to U.S. colleges could have been an overwhelming experience for me. There were many key steps along the application process that every student must manage: college search, personal statement, essays, extracurricular activities and many more.

I was very fortunate to have David as my college counselor - he sat down with me to explain in plain terms how the process worked, he helped me with my essays for numerous iterations until they were perfect, and he helped me arrange the workstream so that I never needed to worry about missing a deadline. David knows so much about colleges that identifying the appropriate ones was an easy exercise. He had collegial relationships at the schools where I applied and that led to me meeting the admission officers who read my application. I attended Duke University and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Economics and Statistical Science.

Four years at Duke was a life-defining journey, where I built lasting friendship and discovered the career that I’m strongly passionate about. Through Duke, I interned and then worked at Deutsche Bank in the U.S. and am currently working with CMC Capital in Shanghai. Personally, the chance to study and work in a foreign country by myself taught me the importance of working with people from completely different backgrounds and my own role in a diverse community - something I may never experience in my home country. Now employed in the financial service industry in Shanghai, I look forward to a more exciting journey to unfold.