International Business and Economics Major
"Often, people ask me why I attended IUP instead of an Ivy League school. I tell them with pride that I believe that IUP offered as much as I wanted to pursue in education. I could come to IUP and receive a poor education or I could come to IUP and receive a Harvard-like education, which, in my case, I had chosen the Harvard-like education. I accept as true that as long as one has ambition and passion for what they do, great academic and life successes will be achieved by the great support of IUP.
"I was originally from Taipei, Taiwan. When I was nine years old, my family moved to Grove City, Pennsylvania, and I attended their public school system. After graduating from high school, I was very puzzled at what I wanted to do in life. But, as time progressed, my international background had gotten me really interested in international affairs and business. That is why I picked International Business as my major.
"I chose IUP because I had heard immense compliments regarding IUP being a very internationally oriented school at a great value. During my attendance at IUP, I have been fascinated by the professors. I have numerous professors that I speak to on a regular basis on a variety of academic and business topics. I realized that in a school the size of Indiana we have small enough classes where I could engage in discussions with professors during their office hours if I so choose to. This played a big part in my education.
"The very diverse campus has really widened my views of the world. Through the years I had been at IUP, I made numerous friends from all around the globe who acquainted me with different cultures and beliefs.
"In my junior year, IUP allowed me to study abroad in Tamkang University in Taiwan. It was a life-changing experience. Although I had come from Taiwan, I was still very culture shocked to go back and learn business in their system and beliefs. It really contributed to my education in the study of International Business.
"I participated in the IUP-TV Sports Production program in my junior year (Fall 2008 and Spring 2009). The program benefited me by not only teaching me teamwork skills and work ethics, but it taught me a technical skill. I learned the operation of a whole sports production. It varied from my being a simple camera man, to behind the scenes and video editing. I sincerely believed that having a technical skill such as this would really improve my chance in looking for a career after I graduate.
"I contributed to the IUP-TV Sports Production program by providing positive input in the planning of the production. I came up with the idea of taking pictures of our operations to enhance the experience by both the students and the advising staff. It could benefit both the program for marketing and students to include in a portfolio when they are entering the workforce as professionals. My junior year of production has been accredited as one of the best years in sports production. Everyone was very efficient, including me. We put up a great production for the IUP fans and alumni."