“Put yourself o
ut there for opportunities you are interested in. You never know what could come of it,” says Tyler Jiang, a Class of 2018 graduate from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (Delaware County). His own advice certainly rang true throughout his undergrad experience as a History and International Studies double major at Rowan!
Tyler quickly realized his interest in history and foreign relations upon coming to Rowan, and seized all of the opportunities possible to expand his knowledge and pave his own path to a successful career. He studied abroad in China for eight months — after applying to the Boren scholarship on a whim and winning based on his achievements — which he says greatly inspired him and opened his eyes to new opportunities. While abroad, Tyler was even interviewed on TV based on the credibility of his studies! From there he added an Asian studies minor and honors concentration to his studies, and received a CUGS in Chinese Language.
“Rowan laid a very solid foundation for the opportunities I’d be pursuing in the future,” says Tyler. He lists writing and research as two significant skills he learned during his undergrad years, skills his other opportunities have both required and further strengthened. One of his fondest memories at Rowan is when he seized the chance to sit in on a history class during his senior year of high school, and the professors remembered his name upon his return to Rowan as a student. “It just showed how much people really care. There were so many opportunities available to me that I didn’t expect before coming here.”
His achievements landed him a position as a research assistant intern at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, studying mostly Asia and the Middle East with the ability to publish his findings through articles and video productions. The research he conducted as part of his internship and independently even earned him the 1st Annual Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award this year at Rowan. Having this tangible proof of his knowledge and experience “really enhanced” his resume and confirmed his love for the research aspect of his majors, specifically.
The end goal? To get a PhD and teach or work for the government. Tyler’s experiences with this position narrowed down his career path and have even led him to secure a Government position which he will be starting this fall — congratulations!
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By: Nicole Cier
Junior writing arts major
