“I’m going to Silicon Valley!”

Back in November, I grabbed a yellow sticky note, wrote down these five words, and stuck it to my wall like they do in the movies. Flash forward, I somehow got myself a seat on Princeton’s Silicon Valley Tiger Trek, a 10-day trip to San Francisco, organized by the entrepreneurship department. Twenty students are chosen to have one-on-one, private interviews with 30 CEOs, founders, and head executives of tech and VC firms. My trip to Silicon Valley felt nothing short a movie script.

When we arrived in early January, the Bay Area was stunning. It’s a stark contrast from the cold, dark winters we see at Princeton. Palm trees and rich blue coasts welcomed us to the mecca of entrepreneurship—and we were there to meet the top players. While every person on the trip had something to teach us, they all had one thing in common: success. And what I took away from these different conversations was that the path to success is often more serendipitous and non-linear than one might expect.

Personally, I’ve never quite known what I wanted to do. I’ve always struggled to settle on a singular career path due to my disparate interests. As a junior, I've been feeling the pressure to apply to linear, corporate engineering roles, but these types of positions have always made me uneasy—worried that they won't leverage my diverse background. So venturing to California, I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted to do—and I was uncomfortable with that. 

However, I left California with a widened perspective. All the founders we met described unexpected paths to where they got to today. These conversations helped me realize that success is not always methodically planned, sometimes it’s a result of brilliant minds creatively exploring, at the right place, at the right time. Not only did the pressure to decide my career vanish, but Tiger Trek completely opened my mind to different paths like finance and venture capital; coming from a family of engineers and professors, I didn’t know much about the financial world until I became interested in entrepreneurship.  

I feel extremely privileged to have had this opportunity. I can now acknowledge that it might take me several years, or decades even, to find my dream job. And it might also take me some time to find what we conventionally call success. But until then, I’ll celebrate my small wins, including that yellow sticky note on my wall—that I'll keep for just that reason. 

One thing that I was perhaps not so prepared for coming to Princeton was the amount of celebrities I would encounter on campus! Whether it be for performances, guest speaker panels, or movie shoots, the University often attracts famed figures—some of whom are even Princeton alumni. Here are a few that I’ve gotten to see firsthand:

1. SZA

I’ll never forget when Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, came to campus. Students everywhere were lined up to attend her keynote presentation at the event titled “SOS: Race, Art, and Activism,” sponsored by Princeton’s Effron Center for the Study of America. The presentation, followed by a roundtable discussion, centered around Black activism and SZA’s experience as a Black female artist in the music industry. After the event, SZA was even kind enough to take a selfie from the stage with several of the attendees. Not only that, but she also gave free—yes, free!—tickets to her upcoming “SOS” tour to a few random lucky students! You can read more about that here.

2. David Zabel ‘88

This name may not be familiar to everyone, but it certainly was for me! David Zabel, alumni from the great class of 1988, visited the University in September 2023 to participate in the Tigers on Strike! Panel, which was about the SAG-AFTRA strike happening at the time. Zabel is currently the showrunner of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. As a huge fan of the whole The Walking Dead franchise and as a student hoping to work in the media and entertainment industry post-grad, it was insanely cool to get to see him in-person and hear his perspective on the strike and the current state of Hollywood. I even got to speak with him one-on-one after the panel, and he gave me some great advice about working in the industry.

3. Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Jack Quaid, and Christopher Nolan

In perhaps one of my all-time favorite memories from Princeton, I recall walking around campus one day in April 2022 only to find that there was a HUGE gathering of people around the East Pyne Building area. I’m talking about hundreds of students, professors, and Princeton townspeople alike surrounding both the inside and outside of the entire building. As it turned out, actors Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Jack Quaid, and director Christopher Nolan were all inside the East Pyne courtyard filming what would eventually become the award-winning blockbuster movie of Summer 2023: Oppenheimer. Though the scene that they filmed only ended up being about one second of the actual movie, it was nonetheless awesome to witness, especially for a film buff like me. Some students even got pictures with Matt Damon once they were done shooting!

These celebrities are just the tip of the iceberg. Rainn Wilson from The Office, Nick Offerman from Parks and Rec, Larry Owens from Abbott Elementary, and most recently famous singer and musician Laufey—the list goes on and on! Not to mention the many amazing musical artists that perform for us every semester at Lawnparties (which I talked about in another article that can be found here!).

I think this really speaks to the far reach of Princeton’s network, but also the diversity and creativity of the topics they’re willing to explore and the events that they’re organizing. That is to say, many of these celebrities don’t necessarily come to promote their major works but rather to participate in educational discussions. For example, we probably all know Rainn Wilson for his beloved character Dwight Schrute, but his visit to Princeton was actually so that he could share his recent book Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution in a discussion with Professor Ruha Benjamin through the Office of Religious Life.

Finally, besides getting to just see and hear them speak about topics they’re passionate about, these celebrity appearances also offer Princeton students the unique chance to network with industry professionals and, for some students, their idols. There’s much we can learn from their success and experience, and, again as someone hoping to work in entertainment after I graduate, I for one am definitely grateful for those opportunities to connect with such prominent figures!
 

One of the biggest reasons that people decide to pursue higher education is to land their dream job after school. Everyone’s paths are different, yet the general sentiment is that education is needed to succeed. While there are many forms this can take, the path I have chosen is the university route. One of the most impactful things that Princeton has done for me, both directly and indirectly, is helping me in my professional journey.

Princeton is amazing for a variety of reasons, which many of my friends/colleagues/peers have written blogs about (hint: check them out!). I wanted to take this time to talk about the resources that help with the pre-professional ambitions of Princetonians. The Center for Career Development is, as the name suggests, the hub for all things helping students with employment. Some of the resources that I have used include resume templates and workshops, interview consultation and practice, coffee chats, networking events, and most importantly, the Fall HireTigers Career Fair. There are a slew of other resources and offerings, so I highly recommend checking out their website.

I was inspired to talk about this after attending this semester's career fair today (9/13/24), because I saw a bunch of first-year students putting themselves out there and trying to learn more. I remembered what it was like two years ago, walking into Dillon Gym and knowing nothing. I am still on my journey, but I have learned a lot along the way. Some of the most important things that I’ve learned are as follows:

1. Have a polished and professional resume 
2. Make sure your LinkedIn and Handshake are up to date
3. Network, network, network (especially with alumni)
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Genuine curiosity takes you a long way
5. Be more interested than interesting
6. Start early

Of course there are other bits of information or best practices, but generally these are the ones that I think about the most. Making sure to be professional and personable are really important since you can have all the qualifications, but if you can’t be ‘human’ you may fall short. These tips helped me land an internship with Atento Capital this past summer, a company that I learned about after attending last year’s career fair. I am interested in finance and consulting so I always aim to chat with companies in those industries, but with 75+ companies represented at the fair, there is truly something for everyone. I encourage you to explore any opportunities because you never know how things will turn out.

I hope you learned something and I wish you the best of luck looking for a job/internship! 
 

Over spring break last month, departments and programs throughout Princeton offered a variety of funded trips for students. Among these trips are the TigerTreks, sponsored by the Princeton Entrepreneurship Club. Silicon Valley and New York City were among this year's locations. 

I was 1 of 20 students who went on the New York Tiger Trek, spending 5 days in Brooklyn and Manhattan having “intimate, off-the-record conversations with creatives, entrepreneurs, and game changers,” according to the NY TigerTrek site. The Prince also covered this, but I hope to bring more personal reflections on the experience.

I did not know any of the other Princeton students before going on this trip—a massive sleepover for a week straight in an Airbnb. Though I was originally a bit worried, we quickly bonded on the subway rides and food excursions. After all, we were in the city—there was always much to do!

I was able to meet peers from many different majors that I likely would not have otherwise, from Classics to Electrical and Civil Engineering. The best part: we got to traverse all parts of the city with our unlimited metrocards, from Times Square, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to Koreatown, and the Highline. 

Speaking of the Highline, we met incredible speakers from all sorts of backgrounds, one of whom was the architect of the Highline: Robbie Hammond. We were able to discuss anything: from balancing one’s personal life, to how he came up with the idea for the Highline, and how he carved an unconventional career path. 

At the MET museum, we met a conservator who specializes in recovering ancient artworks and toured the basement to view all of his current projects. The question of how much one should recover a piece without damaging its original authenticity was among our conversations of ethics, which we explored alongside the scientific side of art conservation. 

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This week was a transformational experience in exploring my career options. Going into TigerTrek, I had the misconception that all jobs had traditional paths with “stepping stones”, but almost all of the speakers I met had their own unique combination of experimentation, networking, and luck. It made me feel a lot more open to learning about other fields and more motivated to try out new things, especially at a place like Princeton. And it’s okay to not have a concrete career path—life will happen on its own.

Amor Fati. It means “love of one’s fate” in Latin. 

While a phrase I’ve studied well through stoicism, I’ve unexpectedly come across this phrase again through a conversation with a friend. It’s made me reflective about my time here at Princeton, and my “love of fate” thus far.

So where am I on my Princeton journey? I’m currently writing this blog post at 11:18pm on May 1st, 2024 - it’s the start of reading week which means a tremendous amount of work for most students here. My days recently have been void of classes yet filled with the slow and often frustrating pace of studying. It’s the end of my sophomore year, and the only word I can use to describe this year would be: unpredictable. 

This year has been filled with struggles I never encountered during my freshman year. My COS (Computer Science) classes have gotten harder. I’ve started to have more anxiety. Socially too, friends and groups have shifted. And that’s not something I expected - however it is part of fate that things change.

All of this is to say that my sophomore year has been overwhelming, and quite the contrast to the blooming, beautiful first year when I arrived at Princeton. I thrived my first year - socially and academically. Initially, this dichotomy between my freshman and sophomore year worried me. I wondered: “Am I not enjoying my time here?” “Am I getting the most out of Princeton?” 

I share this because I’m sure many students feel this way. But my perspective changed when I remembered the words of an alum that I heard during my orientation two years ago.

“Everyone moves through Princeton at their own pace, and on their own path.”

It is normal for things to change. And it’s normal for your path at Princeton to look vastly different from your friends, or even the path that you had the year before. It’s important to remember that Princeton will be unpredictable. You will likely face challenges you didn’t even conceive of facing. And that’s okay! I don’t actually believe in “fate”, but I believe in it as a general concept of the things given to you outside of your control. I find myself grateful for the fate I’ve been given at Princeton - whether the experience was positive or negative. And that is Amor Fati. A true love of one’s fate - a love for the good and the bad that happens. Because from each of these experiences, I’m given an opportunity to grow. And with this, I hope any incoming students can take something from my perspective. That the challenges you will face are valid and unexpected. But you must embrace it all, and simply go along on this wild ride.

Princeton’s five-week winter break permits students to relax and spend time with their family but also engage in fun and enriching activities if they choose. The Princeternship program run by the Center for Career Development is one option, and it showcases the power of Princeton’s incredible alumni network. The program aims to support career exploration and build connections by placing current students with alumni hosts. The “Princeterns” may shadow the hosts at their workplace for several days or assist with a few projects over the course of a several weeks, and students can receive a stipend to cover travel and accommodations. During my first year, I had the opportunity to learn about pediatric clinical and anatomical pathology with Dr. Alice Werner through a virtual Princeternship. Fellow blogger Melissa wrote about her experience as a Princetern at the New York Office of Mental Health, and I wanted to add another perspective from my second Princeternship and share just how grateful I am for the program. Last January, a student from the Class of 2024 and I were lucky enough to shadow Dr. Shetal Shah (Class of 1996) and Dr. Melanie Leong (Class of 2006), neonatologists at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York. Neonatology is the care of newborns, especially premature infants. We shadowed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for four days and were able to observe and participate in a wide range of activities ranging from morning rounds to touring the hospital’s groundbreaking donor milk bank for premature infants.

In fact, I may not have been able to participate in the Princeternship program if I had not pushed myself to complete and submit an application on the last day. Knowing that I would be going on a trip to Toronto sponsored by Canadian Club and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students, I had intended to complete my application before fall break, but unfortunately I pushed it off and found myself writing it in the hotel room; however, the outcome was more than worth it! This is an encouragement to apply to opportunities that you are really excited by, even if the deadline is soon or you don’t think you’ll be accepted.

After spending some cherished time with my family, I was excited to head to Valhalla, NY. On our first day, we met Dr. Shah in the stunning lobby of the hospital which featured a walk-through aquarium, children’s art, and colorful holiday decorations.

In the morning, we attended the Perinatal Conference, during which a neonatology fellow (a doctor who has completed their pediatrics residency and is now receiving further training in neonatology) gave an overview of recent admissions and several complex cases. The first thing that hit me was the sheer number of acronyms used. Dr. Shah later told us that neonatology, like all specialties, has a language of its own, and although we wouldn’t understand everything that we heard, he encouraged us to take in what we could and ask him and Dr. Leong questions afterward. I wrote down acronyms which I wanted to search up later, and over the course of the Princeternship, I learned what many of the most common acronyms meant. One which came up very frequently was the numbering system used to describe a mother’s gravidity and parity, meaning the number of times she has been pregnant and the number of pregnancies carried to a viable gestational age. For example, a G4P1202 mother has been pregnant four times, had one full-term pregnancy, two premature births, no abortions or miscarriages, and two live births. I also slowly became familiar with many of the health issues and procedures performed on premature infants, including patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a heart defect which normally closes within a few days in full-term babies, and jaundice, which is caused by a baby’s still-developing liver being unable to quickly break down bilirubin. Infants with jaundice were given phototherapy, meaning a blue light was placed over their isolette and they were placed on a blue light-emitting “bili blanket” to maximize the surface area of their skin exposed to the light. Dr. Shah explained that the blue light converts the bilirubin into another isomer which is water-soluble and thus the infants can get rid of bilirubin faster in their urine.

I noticed that this Princeternship tied in nicely with my first Princeternship with a pathologist, as this one provided the human side of the patients' stories and gave me a more complete picture of who makes up a healthcare team and how they collaboratively treat each patient. In my first Princeternship, I learned how Dr. Werner entered her notes on pathological samples into the electronic healthcare record system, and in this Princeternship, I saw how the team on the floor requested and used other doctors’ expertise to inform their treatment plan. 

Every morning, the other student and I went on rounds with the “red team” which consisted of an attending physician (a doctor with the highest level of training), a neonatology fellow, three resident physicians who were on their one-month rotation in the NICU, and a clinical dietitian. Because this team had the most residents, it was instructive for us to shadow them because the attending physician asked the residents questions pertaining to the cases and the residents and fellow frequently asked the attending for her advice on a certain condition or course of treatment. For each patient assigned to the team, we would walk to their isolette or bassinet, greet the parents if they were present, and the resident on the case would provide an update on the patient’s last 24 hours. Any changes to their treatment would be discussed and inputted as an order in the electronic record system, including the dietitian’s helpful advice on optimizing each baby’s feeds based on their age, weight change, and needs. The attending never failed to consult the nurses to ask if they had any concerns or additions to make to the day’s update. One thing that impressed me was the collaboration between members of the healthcare team: over the course of four days, the team consulted a pulmonologist, the pediatric surgery team, an ophthalmologist, and a radiologist to profit from their insight into a patient’s situation.

I am so grateful to the Center for Career Development and our alumni hosts for arranging this immersive opportunity and I hope to participate again next year!

For avid Princeton Tiger fans, there's nothing quite like the atmosphere of Ivy League basketball! Every year, after the conclusion of the regular season, the Ivy League hosts its famous Ivy Madness tournament. This year the tournament was held at Columbia, just a short bus ride away from campus. Naturally, I just had to attend, sporting my finest orange attire to support our men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The energy was electric, as many dedicated fans had traveled from all over in hopes of seeing their team advance to the NCAA March Madness tournament. Our women first matched up against the UPenn Quakers in the semifinal round. Sitting in the Princeton student section at a playoff game is an experience I highly recommend to anyone who has the chance. We cheered, chanted, and rallied behind our players, making new friends throughout the day. The following day, our women’s basketball faced off against the Columbia Lions, brandishing an impressive crowd and home court advantage. Neither our fans nor our players were daunted by the opposing team’s section, and the Tigers secured a hard-fought win against the Lions, earning them the Ivy League Championship and a spot in the March Madness tournament.

Between the men and women’s games, I stopped by a local café to charge my phone and complete some work. I ended up sharing a table with a kind alumnus who had spotted my Princeton gear and initiated a conversation. We talked about life at Princeton, past and present, and I learned that he had been a member of my eating club during his time at the university. I have always loved how athletics at Princeton can bridge the gap between students and alumni, and I hope to one day return and support the Tigers after I graduate next May.

The men’s game went differently than most had anticipated. Despite playing aggressively, the Tigers concluded the first half trailing Brown 31-44. In the second half, Brown’s lead was cut to just 3 points, but our men’s team could not keep up the momentum, and we fell to Brown in the semifinals. While it was sad to have lost so early in the tournament, I am so grateful to have seen such an interesting and energetic game.

I make an effort to travel to our basketball tournament games every year, and I will definitely do so next year as a senior. These games are such special opportunities to showcase Princeton pride and befriend cheerful students and alumni. Whether we play at Harvard, Columbia, or beyond, I always enjoy supporting our wonderful athletes. Go Tigers!

One of the biggest highlights of my Princeton experience has been meeting and collaborating with Evelyn Howe '25. We met my sophomore year on the Civic Leadership Council for the Pace Center for Civic Engagement. We quickly bonded over our love of the club's focus on using design thinking principles to create sustainable and responsible social impact projects in the local Princeton community. We focused on Health and Hunger & Homelessness projects.

We both have high energy levels and quickly asked each other to get lunch in Whitman dining hall. On just our second lunch, Evey told me about her idea of exploring impact-oriented career paths through a broader channel such as a podcast. She thought I would be the perfect co-host to build this project together from the ground up. Fast forward to today, together we have built and are celebrating two years of our work on The Impact Agenda podcast! Princeton has been instrumental in it all, from finding mentors, financial support, and most importantly access to the incredibly welcoming Princeton alumni network, many of whom have been our most fantastic guests.

Kicking off the initial planning in February 2022 wasn't easy. We were both brand new to the podcast space and had to learn how to do everything from crafting a unique podcast mission statement, learning how to define and find target guests, figuring out the best podcast recording and editing platforms, and so much more. We had to scrap our first few episodes and start fresh because we realized we needed to invest significantly more time in building relationships with our guests before the official recording to obtain the highest quality episodes.

We gained our footing with Season 2 and are thrilled to have just released Season 3 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We have built an incredible team containing two additional Princeton friends, Kendall Jeong '25 and Christina Wu '26, who spearhead our design and marketing efforts.

Evey and I agree that the best part of this project is learning how to build something new from scratch and engaging in conversation with the most innovative impact leaders globally across all disciplines. We're super grateful to the Princeton community for bringing us together, helping us develop our team, and creating the environment for our success. Evey and I have become lifelong friends - I was able to travel to Hong Kong for 10 days over winter break to enjoy Evey's hometown (and of course meet with potential podcast guests, such as a Hong Kong Olympic swimmer focused on mental health initiatives in HK). We can't wait to see where our podcast goes! 

In the thick of my thesis and deep in finals preparation, graduation feels like a very distant prospect at the moment. But come May, I will be donning my cap and gown to process through Fitzrandolph Gate as a new alumna. Seniors are preparing now for life outside the Orange Bubble, and there are many different options to consider. What do Tigers do after graduation?

Some students enter the workforce directly after graduating. My friend Ben, for instance, was offered a position at the company where he interned over the summer. Other students meet potential employers through events like the HireTigers career fair or through the website Handshake. The Center for Career Development is always available to help search for jobs, refine your resume, and conduct mock interviews.

Other students, around 20% in recent years according to the Daily Princetonian, continue their studies in graduate school. This could be a master's program, doctoral program, medical school, or law school. A master's program is generally one to two years and consists mainly of specialized courses. My friend James, for instance, intends to do a one-year master's before becoming a practicing structural engineer. A doctoral program is a longer commitment, typically 5-6 years, that consists of courses and then several years of research.

Some students apply for special one to two year fellowships, like the Rhodes, Marshall, or Gates Cambridge, that provide funding for research experiences. These are often country or university-specific. The Gates Cambridge, for instance, is for several years of graduate study at the University of Cambridge in England. The Office of International Programs hosts information sessions on campus for each of these throughout the year for interested students.

Through my research experiences at Princeton, I've discovered that I really enjoy the problem-solving process of academic research, and I know I'd like to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation. Throughout the summer and fall, I researched different potential programs and advisors in order to prepare my applications for doctoral programs. Most are due mid-December, and I'll hear back in March (stay tuned).

While my preparations for life post-graduation are well underway, I fully intend to cherish my last semester and all its traditions. I'm truly looking forward to all that this coming semester will bring.

The search for my final summer at Princeton is finally starting and I couldn’t be more conflicted. While my finance, consulting, and engineering friends already secured their internships, I find myself with a big question mark over my head. Princeton, because of its vast array of opportunities, makes it so hard to decide what’s the best way to spend my last summer. The biggest challenge is not finding something to do but deciding on one thing. Do I continue to research with the lab I’m currently doing my independent work with? Or do I apply for another international internship and spend my summer in a new country? Perhaps, I should stay within the US and intern at a non-profit organization through Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS). When people say there are endless opportunities at Princeton, they aren’t lying. As I navigate my choices, I realize I'm preparing for what comes after the orange bubble. It's about equipping myself with skills, experiences, and memories that will shape my career and how I will remember my time here. I decided to do a bit of a rundown on the people at Princeton I reached out to help guide my search. 

Professors 

Seminars are one of my favorite class formats at Princeton and I’m currently taking a seminar called “The Psychology of Adversity.” Prof. Rebecca Carey is teaching the course and she is also my advisor for my junior paper. One thing I love about being a part of her seminar and lab is moving from the seminar room to our lab room. I love talking with her about our discussion topics from class and also hearing her insight about doing research. Soon, I’ll be meeting with her to discuss general questions regarding her journey applying to graduate school and her experience throughout. I love to sit with anyone who has the time to talk to me about their experiences because it allows me to gather different perspectives and within that, figure out which route I’d like to take. 

Alumni 

The Princeton Psychology Society recently had a Career Expo where students were able to meet various professionals in the field of psychology. The goal of the event was to have an informal discussion surrounding various career paths and create connections with alumni who were invited to speak. I was excited to talk with an alumnus who was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), self-employed in private practice. Her path to landing as an LCSW was very interesting and it taught me that there is no linear way to achieving my end goal. While I might be trying to find the best way to become a practicing psychologist, her experience shows that I don’t have to be too worried about making all the right decisions. 

Career Center 

The Career Center is such a useful resource for anything related to career planning. I’ve used the resources multiple times whether it be for finding a winter break internship (aka Princeternship, read about mine here), guidance regarding graduate school and this time around – to find a summer internship. I remember my first time stepping into the office, I was a sophomore already worried about graduate school. Now, I’m still worried about graduate school but I’m more focused on what this summer means for my applications. Taking my degree into consideration, the staff at the Career Center advised me to continue with research as that’s a typical route for those applying to graduate school. They also offered other suggestions such as working with children in a camp setting or finding open positions on Handshake (an internal Princeton platform for exploring internal resources and external opportunities).