Iwen Lam reflects on his college and career experience
The memories that I have of SMIC are ones that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Its tight-knit community, supportive teachers, and the friendships you make that will last a lifetime are parts of the school that can’t be found anywhere else.
After graduating from SMIC, I spent a year in Japan at Temple University for my first year of college. Being in Japan allowed me to experience a culture that was different than ones I was used to for the first time. My experiences there changed my perspective of different cultures, and made me realize that there’s so much to see in the world. It was a challenge being in a country where you don’t speak the language, but you eventually learn to get by. I’d definitely recommend studying in a foreign country if you have the opportunity. Traveling is great, but being able to live somewhere foreign for an extended period of time allows you to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of different cultures.
After Japan, I transferred to Lehigh University, where I spent the next three years of college. I eventually graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Aerospace Engineering and stayed in Pennsylvania for a few months as a mentor at a local technical center. I worked with high school kids to help them learn how to use various machines including mills and lathes in a machine shop as well as create a robot that would be used in a robotics competition. Seeing the great opportunities these kids had to explore engineering at such a young age made me see that although SMIC provides students with excellent academics and will put you in the best position for you to achieve academic success when you move on to university, there is only so much that SMIC can do with the resources that it is able for students. That’s why it’s important for you to remember to continue to try new things and exploring your interests. You don’t necessarily need to have your future planned out, but you should definitely try your best to try new things even outside of school to learn about the things you enjoy, but also the things that you don’t enjoy doing.
After working with the high school students in Pennsylvania, I returned to Shanghai to work for an education consulting company, where I’ve been able to continue working with high school kids, but this time in the process of applying for universities. While most of the students I work with are seniors, there are others I work with who are juniors, sophomores, and sometimes even freshmen. For the younger students, I try to encourage students to do as much as they can to explore their interests in order to be able to help guide them better later on as they apply for university, and it’s proven to be very helpful, as students have been getting into some of the most prestigious schools.
While SMIC and the experiences I had there will always hold a special place in my heart, there is a part of me who wishes I had explored different interests at a younger age. Some say that university is a time for you to discover your passions, but I tend to think that it’s never too early for you to start. So go out, explore the world outside of the school, there is so much for you to discover!
Featured Image – Iwen Lam looks out over the city Courtesy of Iwen Lam