Leslie Yu, BA, 2016

Field of Study: BA, Asian Studies and Communications

Graduation Year: 2016

I never knew I wanted to major in Asian Studies or that my interests were as deep as I would come to know. I started taking Chinese language courses, which extended to cultural classes covering a range of topics from religion, dance, and language formation. During my sophomore year, I took my first Asian course by chance to fulfill a requirement, but soon developed a deep passion and curiosity for the subject. As we were winding down the class and preparing to head into Winter break, I sarcastically suggested that we take a trip to China and apply what we had learned in class, which quickly turned into a reality as a few of us scrambled to get our visas and were soon flying off to China! Those 10 days were filled with inspirational activities and created a fire inside of me that drove me to want to know more. From there on out, my interests grew and I continued to further my studies in Asian Studies, specifically Asian Religions, as I knew this department was full of surprises and infinite possibilities. 

Throughout my time as an ALC student, I was fortunate enough to encounter such talented, professional scholars and passionate peers who deeply invested their time in me, taught me invaluable lessons about cultural differences, and challenged me to critically think about the world through a different lens. After I graduated in 2016, I quickly moved to New York City to begin my career in Digital Media where I create tactical recommendations for clients on how best to advertise products on the ever growing internet and social media. My worldly studies helped me thrive in America's melting pot and propelled me to creatively think at work about such diverse consumer pools. The knowledge I acquired from my time in this department is simply unquantifiable, and I cannot thank my teachers enough for being such great mentors. Forever Go Blue!