Penn Abroad Ambassador June Wang

Program:

• PGS: Scientific Nationalism in Japan
• GRIP: Business Development in Singapore

Ask me about...

• Comparing PGS (Penn Global Seminar class with travel component) and GRIP (abroad internship)

• Asia group travel experiences

• Working for the first time abroad

• Working at a startup

• Using multiple languages in an overseas multilingual environment

My Experience Abroad:

Japan helped my academic/professional goals in the following ways:

• Fully immersing myself in a country whose language I did not speak taught me the importance of exploring both historical monuments and modern technology to understand and appreciate cultural differences.

• From visiting Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines to the RIKEN international physics lab and the top of the Tokyo skyscrapers, I was able to visualize the content in my WRIT0120 class placing Japan as a country that seamlessly blends heritage and modern technological development.

• These experiences deepened my understanding of globalization and business, showing how Japan's blend of tradition and innovation exemplifies balancing cultural preservation with economic advancement. This realization has enriched my perspective on the dynamic interplay between cultural identity and global progress.

Singapore helped my professional/academic goals in the following ways:

• Long-term professional goal: Work in the technically advancing startup space in an increasingly globalizing world, whether as a founder or investor

• Singapore GRIP allowed me to do just that by personally directing customer acquisition/retention strategies at an AI-powered chatbot startup abroad in one of the most fast-paced business spaces. I better understood the open-mindedness and self-drive needed on a day-to-day basis when executing tasks to forward a competitive company’s overall strategic goals

• Observing street and area names (Singapore has 4 national languages: Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English), and immersing myself in the lively conversations of locals helped me more tangibly and deeply appreciate the remarkable language integration that I’d only read about in textbooks – deepening my appreciation for the linguistic diversity that drives the linguistics field.

Other Highlights:

• [Japan ‘24] Eating practically my body weight in diversely prepared fish dishes, whether fried (filets covered in crispy tempura or breaded in katsu), grilled (chunks skewered in yakitori or covered in teriyaki sauce), raw (standalone in sashimi or atop fluffy rice in donburi bowls), steamed, poached, etc.

• [Japan ‘24] Visiting the Byōdō-in Temple nestled in the mountains of Uji, Kyoto on a slightly rainy day. The temple's historical beauty, complemented by the vibrant colors of my classmates' umbrellas, created a stunning and memorable scene.

• [Singapore ‘24] Discovering Singaporean “carrot cake”: a generous pile of glutinous white radish cakes pan-fried, smothered in savory sauce, and topped with a fried egg – ubiquitous in the ~120 hawker centers in Singapore.

• [Singapore ‘24] Working for a real startup, which shared a coworking space with other fintech companies, and gaining a comprehensive understanding of Singapore work culture, presentation experience to my coworkers and boss, and conducting real customer analytics to improve my company’s chatbot.

• [Singapore ‘24] Taking the bus to East Coast Park on the southern coast and spending an afternoon frolicking on a sandy beach framed by palm trees, lazing around in the blue water, and watching a brilliantly pink and orange sunset. Similarly picturesque moments in an overnight trip to Sentosa Island, right off the coast of Singapore.