Hannah Feldshuh, BA, 2016

Field of Study: BA, Dual Major in Asian Studies and International Studies; Honors

Graduation Year: 2016

I arrived at Michigan excited to study Mandarin Chinese and was ready to delve deeply into Chinese politics and foreign relations. Between the world-class offerings at the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures as well as the Program in International Studies, I found ample opportunities to learn, study, and grow among brilliant peers and professors. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa in Phi Beta Kappa in April 2016 from the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts with high honors in Asian Language and Cultures and International Studies.  During my tenure at Michigan, I had the privilege of learning from Professor Emily Wilcox, who supervised my undergraduate thesis focused on media representations of "leftover women" in China. As an undergraduate I also wrote for the Michigan Journal of International affairs, interned at the United States Trade Representative China desk and at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Simon Chair in Political Economy, and served Critical Language Scholar in Suzhou, China.  

Following graduation, I have continued to focus on Chinese studies, partially as a result of the strong education and mentorship provided by ALC. I earned my master's in Chinese studies the Yenching Academy of Peking University, a new scholarship program focused on promoting scholarship on China among global leaders. I have since remained in Beijing, working in policy research and analysis. I currently work as a Senior Associate on the Public Affairs team at North Head Consulting, a boutique international business strategy firm. 

Receiving support and encouragement from the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures to study in and about Asia has proven instrumental in my personal and professional growth. I am grateful for the funding, educational, and emotional support. As a result of these opportunities, I am pursuing a professional trajectory and international lifestyle that I could have never imagined when I first set foot on Michigan's campus as a freshman. My advice: go to office hours, apply to anything and everything, and GO BLUE!