Xinyu (Zach) Zong
Ryan Chao-Wei Lin
Zeng Wang
Meng Chen
Yueheng (Joyce) Wang
Ruoyao (Lily) Xu
Yutan Zhang
Yutong (Tom) Zhang
Zhipu (Steven) Zhao
Zachary Zong
Our Lady of Perpetual Succor Global Scholar
Hesburgh-Yusko Scholar
Post-graduation: Actuarial Analyst, Athene Holdings, Des Moines, IA, US
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Philosophy, Mathematics, Theology, Glynn Family Honors Program
High School: The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University
I am committed to exploring the world and, as my friend Fr. Anthony, a Dominican Friar and Notre Dame alumnus, says, "doing good in a world of evil."
My study abroad experience at Notre Dame in Jerusalem has been life-changing. Despite being caught in the middle of the war, God worked through Notre Dame Global to evacuate us safely from Israel, thankfully. This experience profoundly altered my perspective on geopolitics and my life’s purpose. I made friends on both sides of the conflict. I witnessed a classmate killed at the Lebanon border, a professor sending his sons to the frontline, a friend's brother rushing to Israel to fight, and my best friend's cousin fleeing Gaza during a brief ceasefire. Seeing people die for arguably meaningful or meaningless causes forced me to reevaluate my life's goals. For the first time, I questioned the conventional "happy life" I have diligently pursued—finding a decent job, marrying, having children, and building a life around them. This realization has made me feel the urgent need to pursue higher education, potentially soon after graduation.
Ryan Chao-Wei Lin
William Sexton Scholar
Post-graduation: Parsons School of Design, New York City
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Economics, Design
High School: Taipei American School
One of my strongest passions is storytelling through various artistic mediums -- my favorite being film. Filmmaking has the power to construct realities that can be used to critically examine human experiences.
On campus, I worked as a barista, which has been the source of my favorite conversations and interactions. There, I was exposed to realities outside of the Notre Dame bubble. I volunteered for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s “Homework Helpers” Program, tutoring bilingual kids in English reading and conversational skills. I spent a year studying abroad in Chile, in a full cultural immersion program that enhanced my linguistic abilities and cultural awareness.
Zeng Wang
Scott Scholar
Post-graduation: Investment Banking Analyst
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Business Analytics, Economics, Sustainability
High School: Chongqing BI Academy
I am interested in the intersection of finance and social impact, echoing Mendoza’s mission of growing the good in business.
I joined the SIBC club and traveled to Credit Suisse's Chicago office to present an LBO project. I also became a member of the GreenND club, where I was promoted to head of the event planning division in the spring, working to improve campus sustainability. As President of the ND Chinese Student Association, I planned and organized activities for Chinese students, including the annual Spring Gala. During my junior summer, I interned at J.P. Morgan as an investment banking summer. I led the Unleashed Social Ventures club as co-president in my senior year, focusing on rebranding the club and enhancing project engagement.
Meng Chen
Stamps Scholar
Post-graduation: Ph.D. student in Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Computer Science, Philosophy (concentration in Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics)
High School: Nanjing Foreign Language School
Notre Dame is a vibrant and supportive community that provides many opportunities in computer science and the interplay of technology and society. I led the Data Science Club, where I coordinated and led semester projects for club members. In my Freshman summer, I interned at Xiaomi Technology and researched the SLAM algorithm and its application in autonomous driving. In my Sophomore summer, I received a precision medicine fellowship from Berthiaume Institute and researched heart rate variability as a predictor for maternal fever in the Neural and Data Science lab in New York. In my Junior summer, I researched at the Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego where I designed a novel Human-AI collaboration system for creative writing and brainstorming.
Notre Dame’s traditional strength in liberal arts teaches me how to be a force of good in society. I had a great study abroad experience in Jerusalem in the summer in which I had many insightful conversations with religious leaders of Christianity and Judaism. In my spare time, I enjoy making art. One of my paintings was exhibited at the Duncan Student Center and 4 photography artworks were selected for The Juggler. As the president of the Notre Dame Philosophy Club, I invited our great philosophy scholars to host fireside talks with students. I am grateful for the various opportunities and high-quality resources offered by ND and look forward to more progress in research.
Yueheng (Joyce) Wang
Post-graduation: Master of Arts in Regional Studies: East Asia, Columbia University, New York City
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Sociology, Global Affairs (concentration in Global Aisa), Gender Studies
High School: Chengdu Foreign Languages School
I worked as a research assistant at Notre Dame's Institute for Asia & Asian Studies with a professor of Global Affairs. This opportunity helped me build my research skills and solidify my determination to pursue graduate studies. I am also a member of the Alpha Phi chapter of Iota Iota Iota (Triota), the Gender Studies Honor Society at Notre Dame. Additionally, I participated in a research project on the academic achievements of college students. I am grateful for all the professors and friends I have met at Notre Dame. They have supported and educated me beyond academics.
Ruoyao (Lily) Xu
Post-graduation: Sales and Trading Analyst, Bank of America, New York City
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Business Analytics, Applied Math
High School: Nanjing Foreign Language School
At Notre Dame, I led several consulting and social impact projects in the Student International Business Council (SIBC), where I enjoyed the collaborative team atmosphere as we solved case projects together. In addition, I served as a board member for Unleash Social Ventures and Scholars of Finance. As the president of the marketing club on campus, I took pride in contributing to students' pursuits of interests and careers in marketing. Engaging in these clubs and organizing various activities deepened my interest in finance, preparing me for my internship at the Bank of America in the summer of 2023.
In my role as Chair of the GCS Communications Committee, I was responsible for facilitating communications within the GCS community. These valuable experiences at Notre Dame have helped me develop my leadership, professional, and collaboration skills. I am grateful to be part of the Notre Dame community and look forward to exploring more possibilities in my future endeavors.
Yutan Zhang
Post-graduation: Ph.D. in Mathematics, Indiana University Bloomington
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Mathematics, Scientific Computing
High School: High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University
At Notre Dame, I devoted much time to mathematical research. I am working on the well-posedness of the initial value problem of the nonlinear Schrödinger equations on the line with data in rough Sobolev spaces with Prof. Himonas. I proved and verified several lemmas important to the problem. I have also worked on problems of mathematical finance, deriving and solving the Black-Scholes-Merton and Heston models for option pricing using techniques in partial differential equations and stochastic calculus.
Over the past few years, I have collaborated with four professors on designing and grading the course Mathematical Reasoning to enhance students’ understanding of mathematical rigor at their first exposure. I have also worked as a teaching assistant at the Math Help Room for courses such as calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations.
I continued to pursue my passion for classical music and art at Notre Dame. I played first chair alto saxophone in the Concert Band and took both flute and figure skating lessons. I am grateful for the opportunities Notre Dame has provided me to explore and grow in these areas.
Yutong (Tom) Zhang
Post-graduation: J.D. student, Cornell Law School
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Philosophy
High School: Beijing No.4 High School
At Notre Dame, I deepened my interest in humanities and philosophical inquiries by participating in biweekly philosophy club meetings. I also ventured into the financial world by completing a PJT Restructuring project with the Student International Business Council (SIBC) and proactively explored various career options. Interning with a law firm’s intellectual property team reinforced my confidence in pursuing a career in law.
My summer internship in 2021 made me realize my passion for reading and engaging with the academic community. In subsequent days, I focused on philosophical works and related activities, taking up a leadership position in the Philosophy Club, where we organized discussion groups and guest lectures.
My interest in law overlaps significantly with my passion for philosophy, and I envision studying them in conjunction. I aspire to engage in work that intersects both areas in the future.
Zhipu (Steven) Zhao
Post-graduation: System Analyst, Merit Controls, Somerville, NJ, US
Field(s) of Undergraduate Study: Computer Science
High School: St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong
The year 2020 was an unprecedented year, but I am grateful that I could come to Notre Dame in August. Despite the COVID pandemic, there was nothing that could stop me from developing a sense of belonging. I enjoyed chatting with other people around a fire pit and watching the football game against Clemson. I joined the badminton club and won the third place in the interhall competition. Academically, I was in Glynn’s Honors program and took the honors humanities seminar. Although reading one book in a week was quite painful, I was amazed by how much I have learned about morality and the meaning of life. During the winter, I joined the virtual global professional experience program, in which I interned at Xiaomi. During the second semester of my freshman year, I participated in the 2021 Notre Dame Data Fest and won the Best Insight Award with my team. It is a great opportunity for me, as a freshman, to gain insight into data analysis and explore future career paths.
In my sophomore year, I began taking computer science courses and decided to switch my major to computer science. Additionally, I joined the training for the Putnam Competition and participated in it in December. As an Olympiad math enthusiast, I was happy to continue improving my problem-solving skills.
Last year, I enrolled in Prof Brockman’s Innovation Projects course, which provided a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with 1st Source Bank and gain practical experience. Working in a group of five, we performed data analysis and presented our findings to the company's executives. During the summer, I interned at a solar energy startup, where I automated hardware-in-a-loop testing using computer programs. This experience not only honed my technical skills but also deepened my understanding of the renewable energy industry.