Undergraduate excellence
Undergraduate excellence
- May 15, 2015
- Alumni Excellence recipient answers questions about her college career, influencers and unexpected interests
Having just received the School of Social Sciences Alumni Academic Excellence Award,
which recognizes students for outstanding academic performance and service to the
UCI community, it’s clear that Helen Yu is excelling in her schoolwork. And it’s no
surprise, since the junior who is currently working toward a degree in economics finds
her field of study fascinating.
“Economics, especially at the high, research-level frontier, is always evolving and
changing,” she says. “The spread of ideas, clash of opinions, raised questions and
tentative answers—it’s all very exciting.”
Yu’s strong interest in her major has helped her to thrive, and she even shares her
knowledge with her fellow students by working as a peer tutor in the Economics Learning
Center. In addition, she is involved with the Campuswide Honors Student Council and
has participated in the Dean’s Ambassadors Council, Social Science Academic Mentorship
Program and the Humanities Core Peer Tutor Program. But outside of academics, Yu—who
was born in China and raised in Canada before moving to the U.S. during middle school—has
a wide range of other interests including music, travel, and even the occasional Pokémon.
Here, the aspiring research professor shares a bit more about herself, her experience
at UCI, and how she got to where she is now.
Q: What were your thoughts upon finding out that you received the Alumni Academic
Excellence Scholarship?
Thrilled. It still hasn’t fully sunk in.
Q: What have been some of the major milestones in your life?
One major milestone was when I had finished composing my first official piano piece.
Before then, I had mainly viewed music as an object of consumption, whether it was
through listening or playing other composers’ works. After dabbling in composing for
the first time, I discovered how agonizingly difficult being a producer of music can
be. And yet, there was something so immensely satisfying about it.
Q: What would you consider your biggest accomplishment since coming to UCI?
In the summer between my freshman and sophomore years, I completed ten or so landscape
and portrait paintings. It was one of the most self-disciplined, productive, creative
summers of my life.
Q: Who has played an important role in your life thus far and why?
My parents have encouraged me to work hard to succeed. I think my sense of drive and
independence has come specifically from my mother, who is fearless and tremendously
hardworking in everything that she does.
I am also inspired by my professor, Jean-Paul Carvalho, who I look up to as an academic
mentor. Besides stimulating my passion for game theory, he has also given me advice
in other avenues of life.
Q: Are there any life experiences that stand out that have played a major role in
where and who you are today?
Yes. In my life, I have travelled to China several times and to Indonesia once. The
immense cultural differences and difference in living standards gave me a basis of
comparison for my life in the U.S. The many things that I often complained about in
California—midterms, finals—seemed so inconsequential when I found myself missing
the things I took for granted; clean water, hygienic food, hot showers, moderate weather,
fresh air, etc. It makes me feel very grateful that I had such a fortunate upbringing.
Q: What are the biggest challenges you have faced in getting to where you are today?
Mostly self-doubt. I think I sometimes underestimate what I am capable of doing because
I am so afraid I will fail. It’s all part of being a perfectionist, I think.
Q: Any other interesting tidbits you would like to share?
This is a bit random, but once—for fun—I drew a unique Pokémon for each Shireling
(my freshman dorm mates). We created this Pokémon mural-like wall. It was quite cool
because we had attempted to match the Pokémon type to the personality of our dorm
mates as closely as possible. I’d say we were pretty accurate.
—Bria Balliet, School of Social Sciences
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