Hu Jiawen is a student majoring in Finance at WKU. Hu has multiple roles: secretarial assistant of the Student Union, head of the Psychology Club, deputy head of the College Youth League, a member of the Wenzhou Pandemic Control Assistance Project, an outstanding volunteer at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and head of the Wenchuang Media Studio. She is the recipient of Dean Scholarship, Zhejiang Government Scholarship, National Scholarship, and Leadership Public Service Scholarship. She also won the First Prize in an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and the Excellent Award in Micro Charity Innovation Project Competition. So far, she has received offers from world-renowned universities including the University of Pennsylvania, University College London, and the University of Edinburgh.

Graduate of 2023: Hu Jiawen

Major: Finance

Graduate School: University of Pennsylvania

Getting the First-mover Advantage and Scoring GPA at 4.0

Despite her major switch from English to Global Business and then to Finance, Hu always gets a 4.0 GPA. From her freshman year onwards, she has taken internships related to her major outside campus, which gives her a head start. For her, holidays should be spent to enrich herself. Her self-discipline and ambition inspire her to get rid of any act of slacking off. Whether it is for learning or competition, she always takes each step steadily with resolution.

Back in May of last year, her project, Wenchuang Media, won first prize at the third Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition of WKU. Speaking of the competition, she said: “At the first attempt, we sometimes had to make videos late at night, but it was all worth it to see our work recognized by the customer.” With their consistent efforts, the agency also received orders for video production continuously.

How can she stand out from her excellent peers? The answer goes to her brilliant work and also the assistance of her teachers and friends. In September 2022, Hu Jiawen and Li Kailun joined the 2nd Summer Student Partnering with Faculty Research Program of WKU. Led by Professor Xia Yifei, they focused on talent and innovative development and researched the influence of senior management’s characteristics on company performance from the perspectives of CEO multi-culturalism and the diversity of senior management team members. They presented their research findings afterward.

Good teachers and helpful friends have a profound influence on her everyday life. “Usually, my friends and I urge each other to learn, take notes in class and try to thoroughly understand the knowledge. At the end of each semester, I collect photos with my teachers. I will put these memories together when I graduate,” said Hu. She finds it quite meaningful to record every moment of her life.

The True Meaning of Life is About Experiencing the Journey

Life is a journey, not a destination. Hu is also the kind of person who lives to the fullest.

In her first school year, she joined several school clubs and held important positions, namely, secretarial assistant of the Student Union, head of the Psychology Club, and deputy head of the College Youth League. In addition, she made a proposal at the 41st European E-commerce Conference, gave speeches at an interdisciplinary business and economic research conference, and spoke as a student representative at Chancellor’s Dinner. In her opinion, engagement in various clubs gives her an opportunity to improve her abilities of communication, organization and planning in different occasions and roles.

Hu has the learning ability to think and explore, the leadership to plan and organize, as well as presentation skills to make her opinions heard. She once proposed at the 41st European E-commerce Conference, i.e., Berlin Conference; she presented her papers at an interdisciplinary business and economic research conference; and she spoke as the student representative at Chancellor’s Dinner.

She is not only a good learner, organizer, and speaker, but also a dedicated volunteer. She did volunteer work at the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference, participated in the Pandemic Control Assistance Project, and became a young volunteer in garbage sorting. At WKU’s first Micro Charity Innovation Project Competition, she and her team won the Excellent Award.

With sustained efforts, one can achieve steady and long-term growth. This is exactly the secret to Hu’s success. Being excellent yet humble, she always shows passion for life and sticks to her goals long enough.

During the four years of her university, Hu Jiawen has kept moving forward with like-minded partners, took part in business competitions, joined various clubs, and established rapport with professors. Life at WKU is colorful for her. There is still a long journey ahead, and she will stay true to her original aspiration and embrace a brighter future.