Alumni and Careers

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

I am currently a post-baccalaureate research assistant for a military suicide prevention research team at the University of Pennsylvania. Our current study examines what types of support are most helpful to soldiers serving in suicide prevention roles in the Connecticut Army National Guard. As a research assistant, I help with data collection and management, participant recruitment, and drafting manuscripts and poster presentations, as well as supporting other tasks for the study team and our collaborators at the Natinal Guard as needed. (My photo was taken at work with an army clinician’s therapy dog!)

Why Chinese studies?

I grew up in Hong Kong and had been taking Mandarin classes at school since third grade. Although I studied Mandarin for many years before college, the local spoken dialect in Hong Kong is Cantonese, so I did not have many opportunities to practice Mandarin outside of the classroom. Attending Chinese classes and discussion groups at Bowdoin helped me take my language skills and cultural knowledge to the next level. I also participated in 中文桌子 (Chinese Table), which gave me a unique type of language immersion that I had never experienced before college and helped me make new friends.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

I had the opportunity to complete two independent studies in the Chinese department. In my sophomore year, I worked with Professor Jia on a project about perspectives on psychology and mental health in Chinese-speaking countries. In my senior year, I worked with Professor Qin on a project about Chinese pop music. Some of my favorite self-created “assignments” across these projects included interviewing students about their perspectives on mental health, writing informational essays and personal reflections, and recording covers of my favorite pop songs, all in Chinese.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?

Take advantage of the many excellent resources Bowdoin offers for language learning. This applies to both current students and recent graduates. Taking classes is a great way to learn, but you can also get involved with language tables, discussion groups, and independent studies. In addition, there are several strong study-abroad programs in China and Taiwan, and opportunities to study abroad do not end after graduation. Bowdoin has a fantastic track record of helping students and alumni enter programs such as the Critical Language Scholarship, Fulbright, Princeton in Asia, and others. If you talk with professors and advisors in the Chinese department, Off-Campus Study, and Student Research and Fellowships, they can help you identify opportunities that align with your goals. Finally, do not hesitate to reach out to alumni. They enjoy hearing from fellow Polar Bears and are generally happy to share their insights.

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

Under the guidance of the Office of Student Fellowships and my Asian studies professors, I was awarded both the US Department of State Critical Language Scholarship for Mandarin Chinese and a Fulbright fellowship to teach English in Taiwan. Since August 2025, I have been serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Hualien County, Taiwan, and my Chinese language background has been critical to engaging in meaningful cultural exchange with the local community.

Why Chinese studies?

Studying Mandarin Chinese at Bowdoin has changed my life and imparted to me a love for learning the language. I enrolled in Bowdoin’s Elementary Chinese course my first year, and through daily 8 am classes, my Chinese improved at a dramatic pace. I looked forward to daily Chinese classes because they were both fun and rigorous, allowing me to create strong friendships with classmates while also meeting my goal of improving my language skills.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

With the continuous encouragement of Professor Xie and Professor Jia, during my junior fall, I studied abroad in an intensive Mandarin Chinese language program through CET Taiwan at National Taiwan University. Upon my return, I dove back into my Asian studies courses with a passion for learning more about Taiwan, which my professors supported in numerous ways. For example, I continued to study traditional characters and chose Taiwan-related research topics, such as an investigation into the conservation status of the Formosan Black Bear. During my senior year, I further engaged with Taiwan through a yearlong independent study on Taiwanese film and served as a Mandarin Chinese learning assistant for Elementary Chinese. What sets the Chinese program apart at Bowdoin is the professors’ commitment to supporting each student. In my advanced classes, I met with Professor Han weekly to hone my oral proficiency, and throughout my fellowship applications and Taiwanese film independent study, Professor Jia was instrumental in providing feedback and guiding me through challenging translations. I look forward to continuing to use and hone my Mandarin Chinese through my time in Taiwan and beyond.

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

Since graduating from Bowdoin in 2024, I’ve taken up a role as a researcher in the social impact sector at Russell Reynolds Associates, an executive search consulting firm. This position has brought me to the firm’s Barcelona office, where I’ve been lucky to continue pursuing my love of language learning, although my Spanish is coming along more quickly than my Catalan.

Why Chinese studies?

I arrived at Bowdoin having already studied Chinese for about six years, and it would have felt like a shame not to continue developing my fluency through the language program. Continuing with Chinese was one of the best decisions I made at Bowdoin. The small classroom environment created an especially engaging learning experience; getting to know your classmates in the language you’re learning feels less like textbook recitation and more like a test run for interacting with native speakers in the real world. While I don’t speak Mandarin on a daily basis now, being able to help Chinese tourists with directions or recommendations years after my last Bowdoin course shows just how much the language has stayed with me.

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

Since graduating from Bowdoin, I have been living and working in China. My work is in international trade, focused primarily on petrochemical and industrial products. The experience has served as a practical education in contracts, logistics, and cross-cultural negotiation. I have had the opportunity to travel widely, visiting refineries and factories across the country, alongside the more routine rhythms of office work.

Why Chinese studies?

I was originally a government major at Bowdoin, and I was particularly interested in how the modern Chinese state formed. Deepening my understanding of the Chinese language became a natural step toward engaging with these questions more seriously, and ultimately led me to double major in Asian studies.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

Several professors at Bowdoin shaped my academic, professional, and personal engagement with China. Xiaoke Jia developed my Chinese language skills, introduced me to contemporary Chinese literature, and encouraged me to attend the CET Beijing program at Capital Normal University. Professor Heurlin helped me develop a foundational understanding of Chinese political systems and situate them within a broader historical context, and Professor Wang cultivated my interest in contemporary Chinese art.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?

I encourage students interested in China to study in mainland China if they have the opportunity. The scale and diversity of the country offer an unmatched range of linguistic, cultural, and intellectual experiences. Studying here allows you to engage directly with contemporary Chinese society in all its complexity.