Academic Excellence Award Recipient:

Mr. James Hsu

Going to and graduating from any top-notch school requires many things, of them there’s tenacity, balance, and intelligence. However, these things are basic traits that every single student at the school should hold. When people talk about academic achievement they should of course look at how well the student is doing in school in general but they must also look at what other things they are doing on top of succeeding in school. The reason that I placed myself as a candidate for this honor, is because on top of succeeding in school, I have gone out attained internships while at the same time having fun in college which is to me one of the most important parts.

In the matter of core academics I have worked hard in order to attain almost a 3.1 in a math-economics major with a specialization in computer programming. At first, I was just a plain economics major, but later I realized that by taking some additional classes I would be able to graduate with a bachelor of science instead of a bachelor of arts. Having these additional add-ons to my original major has made my schedule a lot tougher but at the same time will help me in the future by showing employers that I have analytical skills along with a basic knowledge of the economy. Currently, I have taken classes way ahead of where I am scheduled to take at the typical sophomore’s track. For example, starting fall quarter the past year I already started to take upper division economics courses that typically juniors or seniors take. On top of that starting at the beginning of my sophomore year I have already achieved junior standing and have the necessary units to graduate if I finish the necessary classes in three years.

These facts go to show that I exceeded in my major as well as my classes in school. However, the main element that sets me apart from my competition is the internships that I have attained as a sophomore. The past winter quarter I have worked as an intern for a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. In the internships I would come in by 8am two to three days a week and work around six hours each day. Through that experience I learned what working as a financial advisor would be like if I ever pursued that field. The main thing that I learned and gained from the experience is my knowledge on the industry and economy. Everyday, I would come in and learn more about how the overall economy was doing and how financial advisors/analysts were coping with it.

This quarter and this summer I will be working at Helio as an operations finance analyst intern. My daily tasks include creating spread sheets and working with higher management executives in order to watch and learn the daily tasks at a large company. My experience here will not only boost my resume but will make me a much knowledgeable person in the high tech and business industries. This quarter I will be working 20 hours a day at the job while at the same time taking four classes a week which include two math classes, one programming, and one upper division economics.

With all these obligations, I would probably never come out for the fraternity because of work and school. However, because I have worked hard to create a much tighter schedule, I have been able to still come out to most of the fraternity activities. Partying and just having fun is probably the key element of college that every student needs to have. Throughout the year, although I have compromised and spent a few nights studying instead of going out, I have definitely lived it up far more than most other students that I know.
These are the reasons that I have placed myself as a candidate for the academic achievement award. I have been able to find balance even through work and school so that I will be able to make the most out of my college experience.

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