“To be honest, I’m disappointed at Penn.”
Other students nodded their heads in agreement. During a faculty-student dinner, our professor had asked us, “What do you think about studying at Penn? Have you enjoyed your experience so far?” I sat quietly in White Dog Cafe as I listened to my peers voice their dissatisfaction toward Penn. Their complaints pointed to our institution’s preprofessional nature, the fixation on wealth and status, or the lack of progress on social issues. Their responses made me reflect on my own — “I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. Penn has offered so many opportunities.” Was I overly positive? Slightly embarrassed at how simplistic my answer seemed compared to my peers, I spent the rest of dinner contemplating my assessment of Penn.
I was reminded of that faculty-student dinner as I sat inside a conference room in the Central District of Hong Kong alongside other Penn students studying abroad. On stage was President Larry Jameson as he introduced Penn’s new strategic framework, “In Principles and Practice.” Jameson reflected on a variety of Penn successes, such as its ability to support and produce academic scholars (12 Rhodes Scholars, 206 Fulbright Scholars, 12 Gates Cambridge Scholars, and 13 Marshall Scholars in the last decade). He reaffirmed his focus of making the University of Pennsylvania “a scholar community that advances discovery and opportunity toward a better future for all.” I was surprised at how little I knew of our University’s impressive track record and continued efforts to cultivate a strong, scholarly backbone for its students.
Jameson’s presentation was followed by a networking session. Aware of the on-campus jokes and occasional criticisms about our school’s focus on business and finance, I expected a room full of bankers. Again, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong. While there were bankers, I also ran into current professors, diplomats and ambassadors, CFOs of various companies from rat trap manufacturers to vessel rental providers, and central bank officials. They greeted current students warmly, offering insight into both their professional and personal lives.
In the weeks that followed, alumni from the Hunstman Program in International Studies and Business, from 1996 graduates to 2018 graduates, invited us for lunch in downtown Hong Kong. They taught us how to play pickleball, but more importantly, they offered serious advice regarding our academic and professional pursuits. They attentively listened to our description of the recruiting process at Penn, described their logic when making important life decisions, and we even laughed about our different experiences in freshman year. I left the lunch with a renewed sense of gratitude for Penn’s alumni community.
What’s significant is that this likely isn’t an experience unique to me. It’s available to all Penn students. The Wharton School alone has 100,000 alumni in 153 countries across all six inhabited continents. Penn boasts mentorship programs uniquely available at our University, such as the mentor program for Huntsman students or the SEAS Connect Career Mentoring Program. The resources, especially alumni resources, that Penn has to offer are unparalleled.
It’s not just alumni resources, though. No other institution has the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research where students earn a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science in engineering. Penn students applying to medical and law school enjoy a 80% and 94% acceptance rate compared to the national average of 44% and 77%, respectively. Penn established the first medical school in North America and the world’s first collegiate business school. The School of Engineering and Applied Science even has the oldest continuously operating degree-granting program in chemical engineering.
Study abroad was meant to offer me a break from Penn, its community, and my life in it. Yet, approximately 8,000 miles away from Philadelphia, I find myself in the odd-yet-satisfying situation of being surrounded by fellow Quakers with a greater understanding of Penn’s accomplishments than ever before.
So, as I reflect, I’m proud of my previous answer to the professor. It is a privilege to study at Penn. I’m grateful to be part of an institution which has offered unparalleled opportunities and even a small family away from Philadelphia.
Penn isn’t perfect. But which school is? I argue there are more reasons to be proud of your Penn identity than to shy away from it. So, eagerly reach out to alumni, embrace our academic offerings, and be proud of the fact that you go to Penn.
SEAN OH is a College and Wharton junior studying international studies and business. His email is jseanoh@wharton.upenn.edu.
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