Student Spotlight: Sheng Huang and Charles Zhuang
The IABC student chapter at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) is comprised of an extremely involved and passionate group of students. Two of this chapter’s members stand out: Sheng Huang, chapter president, and Charles Zhuang, a first-year student and member.
Both students came to the U.S. from China—Sheng from Shanghai at the age of seven and Charles from Chengdu, first at age seven and then again at age 11 after a return to China to reestablish his Chinese traditions. Sheng chose to attend UCB because of its proximity to his hometown of Milpitas, California, only a 45-minute drive away. This short distance resulted in a surprise visit from his mother during his first year at school.
Charles selected UCB for the opposite reason. He wanted to distance himself from his Southern Californian home, which he felt would enable him to make life decisions on his own, away from direct parental influence. New York University was too far, and the University of California, Los Angeles was too close. At UCB, Charles lives far enough away to feel independent, yet can go home when he needs some extra money.
Sheng, a business administration and legal studies double major, spends his leisure time working out at the gym, visiting with friends, drawing with colored pencils, pastels or watercolors, riding his motorcycle and listening to music. This year, he hopes to practice yongmudo, a form of Korean martial arts.
Charles, finding that the modern world is too hectic, escapes into the world of art. Just a few years ago, Charles dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. He continues to play as a way to wind down, performing improvisational tunes as well as romantic pieces. Charles also enjoys analyzing stocks with his friends.
Q: What has been your favorite university class, and why?
A—Sheng(S): The rhetoric class I took with Professor Karen Borst-Rothe. She was an extremely motivated instructor and kept the class engaged. The class taught me more about writing and required us to go beyond literal meanings when we read. These activities help me excel in my legal studies classes.
Charles(C): Well, I’ve only taken four classes so far, but I really enjoyed my introduction to business class. Professor David Robinson is a dynamic, interactive teacher who incorporates current examples into the class to create a contemporary environment. The content becomes more intriguing for students when instructors use pop culture references instead of examples from the past.
Q: Do you currently have a job and/or internship?
A—S: Right now, I work in the UCB student government as an accountant and an intern. The accountant position is in the auxiliary department, where I manage numerous on-campus organizations’ finances. The intern position in the educational opportunities department is unpaid, but provides me with excellent experience writing documents and planning events. Currently, I am writing a grant proposal for a networking event bringing undergraduate and graduate students together. When the events go well, the work is definitely worth it.
C: I am currently working part-time for the UCB Center for Executive Development in Haas School of Business as a database analyst. The Center recruits CEOs from Fortune 500 companies to help the school. We even have the contact information for Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in case we want to invite him to visit the university. The challenge of my position is to communicate concepts and data trends in a simplified and concise manner to people with different backgrounds and experiences, which requires polished communication skills.
Q: What skills do you think are most important to do your job well?
A—S: For my accounting position, I definitely need to be focused and pay attention to detail. Knowing accounting software is essential, as well as speedy number processing, both of which I learned on the job. For my internship, strong writing and organizational skills are important, especially for meeting deadlines. These skills come from years of schoolwork.
C: Communication skills are key. I need to be economical and concise with words, while adding my own personal flavor to prevent the text from being dry and to imprint my personality in my contacts’ minds. I need to create customized messages for multiple audiences so cultural knowledge and sensitivity are important as well. These messages have to cut across age groups, interests and distant geographic locations. My technology skills need to be excellent as well.
Q: Do you have a mentor? If so, who is he/she and how has he/she helped you?
A—S: Not yet. I am working with the undergraduate director at the Haas School of Business on finalizing the mentorship program for our student chapter. I need to explain the benefits for both sides and convince her that this program will help close the divide between undergraduate and MBA students. We hope to have this mentoring program underway soon.
C: I regard my dad as one of my mentors. He’s always been so open with me and supportive. My leadership class teacher in high school also helped me evolve. When I first came to the United States, I was shy. Coming from China, you are taught not to voice your opinions or deviate from the standards, so I kept to myself. Eventually, I learned to express myself with their support and encouragement.
Q: What is your ultimate career goal?
A—S: That’s a good question. I don’t have a clear answer right now. I think I’d like to do something in accounting or communication. I hope to learn more about my career options when I participate in a consulting program through UCB later this year.
C: I really want to work in international business. That’s why I am pursuing a business administration degree with an emphasis on international business. I truly appreciate my mother’s decision to send me back to China. My other friends who stayed in the United States lost their native language, and when you lose the language, you lose the culture. I have retained the language of my heritage because of my return to China, which has helped me retain the culture. I want to build a bridge between the United States and China and facilitate communication between the two countries. I love meeting new people and traveling and I don’t want to sit in a cubicle. The world is so large; I want to see as many things as I can.
Q: Are you currently reading any good books?
A—S: For my Slavic literature class, I read Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons. It's about the generation gap in Russia in the late 19th century and the mixture of the old traditions with the new. The focus was on the new philosophy of nihilism, which I found very interesting.
C: I just read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. This book discusses how snap judgment can be better than thinking things through and analyzing. In just two seconds, you make a judgment about something; your instincts make good decisions and you should trust them.
Q: What has been your favorite event held by your IABC chapter? Why?
A—S: Some members of the IABC/UCB student chapter went to IABC headquarters in San Francisco for an executive luncheon with members of the international executive board. We were able to interact with these executives on a personal level with discussions continually flowing. IABC is truly global with many powerful benefits, such as this opportunity for personal interaction with professionals.
C: I agree with Sheng. I loved the executive luncheon. I was able to talk to interesting people in the top of their field. Speaking to the board members exposed me to the broad reach of communication and its integration into multiple professions. This event gave me a global perspective about how to communicate with people from various backgrounds. The most impressive fact I took away from the luncheon was something Barbara Gibson, vice chair of IABC’s executive board, said. She told me that if I’m traveling abroad, I can call the local IABC chapter or members in the area and spend time with them—anyone can. I can’t wait to try it on my next trip.
Q: What do you think is the best benefit of being an IABC student member?
A—S: Networking. You are connected to a network of over 15,000 people, which provides so much potential for productive relationships. IABC also has so many chapters all across the world and you can communicate with people internationally through the association.
C: The international business aspect. Other associations are more domestic; IABC provides you with a global perspective. Our chapter is a medium-sized group with subcommittees. This set-up facilitates intimate relationships. Other clubs don’t allow members to speak to the president of the club, but I get to spend time with our president, Sheng, all the time. We talk about marketing and other issues, as well as spend our free time together. It’s great being able to talk to him on a peer level. Going to a university with such a large campus, you’re not sure who you can trust. By joining with fellow student members of IABC, you are connected to people with similar interests.
Q: How do you think being a student member of IABC has helped you?
A—S: Charles just listed a whole bunch of benefits we’ve experienced! As president of our student chapter, I have honed my leadership skills. Leading an IABC student chapter is different from being a club president in high school. Our membership numbers increase exponentially and we have to market ourselves by finding our own niche to compete with similar clubs on campus. I work as the main facilitator for the board, making it run like a well-greased machine. It feels like running a small business on campus. The stress is all worth it because the sense of success and achievement at the end is incredible.
C: Besides what I’ve already mentioned, social events have helped me meet more people like me. People choose to participate in this chapter; they could simply lie in bed or watch television. Their motivation says something about them.
S: Right, people could just stay at home or be involved with another club. We really appreciate our members choosing IABC.
Q: What would you say to other students who are thinking of joining IABC or starting a chapter?
A—S: Definitely go for it. Learn about communication and get ahead with networking and experience. If you start in your fourth year or after, you’ll still be in an internship when you graduate. Boost your experience while you’re still at university. Joining IABC is a great way to get started. It’s hard work to start a chapter, but the rewards more than compensate for the initial cost. You bond with your fellow members, which is really special, as well as improve your communication, organizational and leadership skills.
C: Sheng said it pretty well. Join IABC because every career involves communication.
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