Navigating the Life at Penn as an Asian American Student ——A story from an alumnus: belonging, connecting, challenges and fulfillment…
On Thursday, October 17, 2024, the University of Pennsylvania’s Chinese Language Program, sponsored by the Matthew Y. Wang Memorial Fund, hosted the 12th installment of the Mental Health Wellness Series. The event, titled “Navigating Life at Penn as an Asian American Student: A Story from an Alumnus—Belonging, Connecting, Challenges, and Fulfillment”, featured Penn alumnus speaker, Alaric Qin.
Alaric’s career trajectory includes three years at McKinsey, a year at Airbnb, and five years as Director of Marketing at Confluent. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Alaric has been an active leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He led his company’s DEI program and managed its Asian cultural employee group for over three years. Furthermore, Alaric is a lead organizer at the Asian Leaders Alliance, a collective of over 500 Asian resource groups across North America. His work centers on building networks and supporting Asian professionals in the corporate world.
During the event, Alaric shared a personal and reflective account of his journey navigating life at Penn as an Asian American student. He spoke candidly about the challenges of how he found his sense of belonging in the Penn community. His story touched on the pressures of balancing academics with the needs of his family, including caring for a sick parent, and how these experiences shaped his understanding of resilience and self-care.
Alaric also emphasized the importance of finding joy and fulfillment in life, noting how his passions for music, DJing, rock climbing, and community-building have contributed to his overall well-being. He encouraged students to prioritize their mental health by cultivating joy in their daily lives, speaking up about what matters to them, and always assuming best intent in their interactions with others.
The event concluded with a lively Q&A session, where attendees engaged Alaric on topics ranging from managing family responsibilities to finding purpose in life beyond professional success. Alaric’s candid insights resonated deeply with the audience, leaving them inspired and more connected to their own journeys at Penn.
This event was part of the ongoing Mental Health Wellness Series sponsored by the Matthew Y. Wang Memorial Fund, which aims to provide resources, guidance, and community-building opportunities for students navigating their academic and personal lives at Penn.
