Charles Wang
Muhua Guo
Yuhe Sun
Yuhan Pan
Xinyi "Emily" Cao
Solbi Chung
Jingyi (Angel) Lai
Esther Lynch
Jessica Wang
Charles Wang
Concordia International School Shanghai
Our Lady of Perpetual Succor Global Scholar
Hesburgh-Yusko Scholar
I’m Charles Wang, a junior double majoring in Business Analytics and Psychology. It has been an absolute blast here at Notre Dame so far.
I was originally born in Atlanta, Georgia but moved to California at a very young age. But soon, my family moved to Shanghai for my parents to continue their careers. Thus, I spent ages 4-18 in a place I now call home: Shanghai. Growing up, I went through various education systems: a British Middle School, and finally an international American High school. I experienced and met people from different backgrounds and cultures. This was one of my ways of experiencing the whole world other than traveling; through the lives of my peers.
At Notre Dame, I took my passions to another level. During my freshman year, I joined the biggest organization on campus - Student International Business Council (SIBC). There I was able to strive and lead consulting projects with top firms: McKinsey & Co., Deloitte and Bain & Co., Ernst & Young (EY) throughout my years at Notre Dame.
Along with my passion for pursuing a business career, I am leading a magazine organization as their Visual Productions Director as well as the head photographer. Through Spare Magazine, I am able to exercise and develop my creative side. I plan on working with the Notre Dame football team in the future as I strive to create content for them as well.
As sports are an integral part of my life, I have continued to pursue my love of basketball and badminton. I have been playing interhall basketball with my dorm for the past two years now and I love every moment of the competition. Furthermore, I joined the Club Badminton team during my freshman year and I am now the Vice-President of the organization as we continue to improve our techniques.
I’m extremely grateful to call Notre Dame my home.
Muhua (Annie) Guo
Frank Reilly Scholar
Affiliated High School of Peking University
I am a junior majoring in Finance and Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS). At Notre Dame, I feel extremely fortunate to have discovered my passion for financial services and met life-long mentors and friends.
Through various extracurricular activities, I became interested in Finance during freshman year. For instance, I joined the Student International Business Council (SIBC) and was a travel team member for various projects with companies such as Ares, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs. Additionally, I was the project leader for an equity investment project with Fidelity, and our team pitched the Microsoft stock to portfolio managers at the firm.
To gain more real-world experience in financial services, I interned at JFP Holdings as an investment banking summer analyst in Beijing after my sophomore year. In the summer of 2024, I will intern as an investment banking summer analyst in the Technology Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Bank of America in California. I look forward to further expanding my knowledge and skills while working alongside outstanding professionals with much industry experience.
Life, Sweetness, and Hope. As Notre Dame’s motto indicates, my college life extends beyond academics and professional development. Since serving as the Chair of the Community Building Committee in the GCS program, I helped arrange social events and coordinate the mentorship program for Greater China Scholars. Fascinated by intercultural communication, I tutored American students majoring in Chinese at the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures. Additionally, I followed my passion for music and became a member of the Notre Dame Chorale. I also enjoyed jogging around the beautiful campus with friends.
I am excited to study abroad in Rome, Italy during the upcoming spring semester and can’t wait to continue my journey at Notre Dame in my senior year!
Yuhe (Krystal) Sun
Liu De Scholar
Nanjing Foreign Language School
I’m Krystal Sun, currently a junior studying Business Analytics and Economics with a minor in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE). I’m originally from Nanjing, China, and I live in Pasquerilla West Hall on campus.
At Notre Dame, I am highly involved in the Student International Business Council. As I grew from a travel team member all the way to one of the 2024 Consulting Co-Directors, I felt grateful for having all the connections and opportunities for me to explore and grow. The coming year I will also serve as the Experiential Learning Board Member for Consulting Connect and will organize the annual case competition to help underclassmen experience consulting. As I will be interning at Bain & Company for the coming summer, I hope I can give back to the Notre Dame consulting community.
Other than career-related growth, I worked with Professor Lakshmi Iyer as a Kellogg International Scholar, helping her understand women’s political participation in local boards and councils in Reno by sorting the applications and coding the appointment information. And I will be studying abroad in London in Spring 2024 to experience the world from another perspective.
I truly hope to grow the good in business and generate good for society. At the same time, I am very grateful for being part of the GCS community.
Yuhan Pan
William Sexton Scholar
Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy
I am a junior majoring in Business Analytics and Economics. I came to realize my interest in business and finance through coursework and extracurricular activities, such as serving as a project leader at SIBC. Seeking solutions to existing business problems, I found that I enjoy using both quantitative and qualitative tools of analysis to approach and solve real-world business problems. Aside from business, I’ve been working as a research assistant with Professor Victoria Hui in the political science department, examining the centrality of war in the formation and transformation of traditional China.
I love exploring and immersing myself in different cultural environments, which equips me with a diverse lens to understand the world. Last summer, I did an internship at a hedge fund in Hong Kong. I look forward to studying abroad in Athens, Greece next spring and doing a sales and trading internship in NYC next summer.
I am very grateful for being a part of ND and the GCS community. I look forward to embracing all opportunities and challenges and follow the possibilities wherever they lead me.
Xinyi "Emily" Cao
Chengdu Shude High School International Department
I am a sophomore majoring in Economics and considering taking a second major of ACMS or Computer Science in the future. I live in Farley Hall.
Due to the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic last year, I didn’t arrive at the campus until September when I started my freshman year. I had taken a gap year to explore my interests when I took on two internships involving language education. Besides work, I spent time learning skills I have been longing for since childhood, such as painting, singing, and playing guitar. I completed an oil painting once a week and made videos of myself singing with guitar and sending it to social media on a regular basis. Moreover, I developed an interest in the historical culture of my city Chengdu, visiting local teahouses and bookstores, conducting research about how these small stores are able to survive during the COVID era.
After arriving at Notre Dame, I have been amazed by its generosity, in terms of both its richness in resources and its kindness to everyone no matter what race, age, gender, or major he/she is. I was involved in SIBC, in which I attended as a team player to help collect, organize and present data related to a healthcare company. I also joined Fresh the dance club. It turned out to be one of the most unforgettable and relaxing experiences for my first semester, I met a lot of energetic and passionate friends who would just cheer for a dance move. It’s a wonderful experience both for my body and mind.
This spring, I plan to participate in a variety of school events. The Social Concerns Seminar, Take Ten, and SSLP are all exciting opportunities for me.
Solbi Chung
Yew Chung International School of Chongqing
I am originally from Seoul, Korea. I major in Philosophy and Sociology with a minor in Data Science and French and Francophone Studies.
Fascinated by history and social sciences in high school, I explored the media's role during Korea's 1961 Martial Law and worked on enhancing female hygiene and sex education in Cambodia with a local NGO. My interactions with Khmer girls inspired me to establish the first feminist club in my school and present at the 2020 International Women’s Organization forum. Holding leadership roles in various school clubs has deepened my appreciation for serving others and contributing to societal improvement.
I am continuing both my academic and personal explorations with great resources here at Notre Dame. Currently, I am working as a Korean peer tutor at the CLSC. I anticipate further engaging in research in the field of Sociology as a research assistant for the Chicago Congregation Project.
Again, Notre Dame greets my curiosity and continues to provide the best resources to develop it into something that could be meaningful for our society.
Jingyi (Angel) Lai
Wuhan Britain-China School
I double major in Sociology and Economics, with a minor in Japanese.
At Notre Dame, I am grateful to pursue my academic interests as well as to practice my faith and values. In the past year, I worked as a research assistant on ancient Chinese wars. I am one of the 24 International Scholars in my class, assisting Kellogg professor Eva Dziadula in her research in development economics. I received my first acknowledgment in 2023 with Professor Dziadula’s paper “The Value of A Green Card In The U.S Marriage Market: A Tale of Chain Migration” and will be working with the LEO Institute in the summer of 2023 to continue exploring my interests in the field of economics.
Aside from academics, I am a member of the GCS Event Planning Committee and help organize GCS events. Notre Dame provides me with opportunities to pursue my interest in service. I worked with the Robinson Community on the Take Ten program, helping children learn to resolve conflicts in peaceful ways. I am both blessed and proud to serve as the chair of the GCE Event Planning Committee to help assist the current GCSers with both academic learning and life.
I am grateful for the abundant resources the Notre Dame community provides me and will keep passing on our good traditions. I plan to be more actively engaged in sociology and economics clubs to further my interests in the areas this academic year.
Esther Lynch
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
I am a junior, majoring in Political Science with a supplementary major in Global Affairs with a minor in Chinese.
I was born in Paris, France, to two educator parents, where I lived until I was nine before my family moved to New York, where I continued my education at the Lycée Français de New York. In New York, I completed various internships at non-governmental organizations such as ATD Fourth World, a French NGO devoted to eradicating extreme poverty around the world. When my family moved to Hong Kong when I was 15, I studied at the Chinese International School. In this bilingual institution, I was privileged enough to devote a lot of my time and energy to learning Chinese and immersing myself in the fascinating Hong Kong culture I was surrounded by.
At Notre Dame, I have been fortunate to take a range of classes permitting me to learn about my interests in a structured and intellectually challenging manner. I have also continued my passion for learning Chinese by taking a Chinese class five times a week and ultimately declaring a Chinese minor. Outside of the classroom, I am the student research assistant for Prof. Michel Hockx, the director of the Liu Insitute for Asia. Furthermore, I have become a member of Mercy Works, through which I have been able to establish a meaningful connection with the South Bend community through weekly volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club.
In the past year, I have begun to prepare for the creation of the first annual Notre Dame United States - China Symposium, aimed at fostering better mutual understanding of 21st century topics between the two countries. I am fortunate to have put together a team of 15 like-minded students and faculty members who share the belief that dialogue between these two nations is essential.
I have loved my time here and hope to continue making deep connections with my classmates and professors and learning more about topics I am fascinated by.
Jessica Wang
Tianjin International School
I am a junior majoring in biological sciences and am honored to be a part of the Glynn Family Honors Program. I recently added a Gender Studies minor and would love to discuss the program with those interested. I have lived in Pasquerilla East and West Hall and currently live in the Undergraduate Community at Fischer.
Currently, I am volunteering at the Family Medicine Center under Saint Joseph Health System, allowing the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience with the American medical system. Interacting with patients has been a highlight of this experience, as it allows me to learn beyond the confines of the classroom, gaining insights into their experiences and practicing compassionate care in medicine.
Outside of school, I am actively involved with ASCEND, the K-pop club on campus. We hold classes around three times a week and aim to produce at least one cover per week. We have a Youtube channel and Instagram page, so please check those out if you are interested!
I cannot wait to see what Notre Dame still has for me to discover, and I cannot wait to give back to the Notre Dame community in my own ways!