My  Journey  Across  the  World

Victoria  Gu

MIT  Sloan  Class  of  2019  – Candidate

Growing  up  in  bustling  Shanghai

Shanghai,  China

Growing  up  in  Shanghai,  I  loved  being  close  to  my  extended  family  and  visiting   them  on  a  frequent  basis.  My  parents  were  ambitious   chemical  engineers  coming  from  a  modest  background.  As  my  parents  were  occupied  starting  their  own  venture,  hoping  to  provide  me  with  a  better  life,   they  sent  me  to  a  day-­‐care  style  school  where  I  lived  in  dormitories  with  many  other  students   during  the  week.

Even  though  the  curriculum  in  Shanghai  focused  solely   on  math  and  science  and  extracurricular  activities  were  frowned  upon,   being  surrounded  by  friends   almost  24/7  was  the  best  experience.  

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On  a  summer  vacation  to                                            Qingdao,  China

Me  with  Power  Ranger  crew  in  Kindergarten

Aotearoa – New  ZealandLand  of  Long  White  Clouds

Auckland,  New  Zealand

On  one  unremarkable  afternoon,  my  parents  suddenly   announced   that  we  were  moving  to  New  Zealand.  They  had  an  opportunity   to  move  there  for  work  and  wanted  to  provide  me  with  a  new  educational  experience.  

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My  teachers  in  Auckland   encouraged  me  to  try  new  things.  Originally  quite  shy,   I  trusted  my  teachers’  advice  and  ran  for  leadership   roles.  After  seeing  my  efforts  come  to  fruition,   I  saw  how  even  a  single   person  could  make  a  real  difference.  Since  then,  I’ve  felt  strongly  compelled   to  step  up  in  order  to  help  out  in  any  way  possible.

The  newly  gained  courage  soon   spread  to  other  areas  in  my  life.  After  my  first  trip  to  the  aquarium,   I  developed   an  intense  curiosity   about  marine  animals  and  decided  to  get  certified  as  a  scuba  diver.  Although  I  didn’t   know  how  to  swim  and  was  terrified  of  the  water,  I  overcame  my  fear.  Now,  as  a  Divemasterin  training,  my  love  of  scuba  diving  has  confirmed  my  belief  that  bold   actions  can  lead  to  wonderful   outcomes.

Receiving  the  national  40  Hour  Famine  Scholarship  for  

outstanding  leadership

Everything  in  school  was  different;  I  felt  encouraged  to  move  beyond  core  subjects  to  

explore  things  that  I  was  interested  in

We  also  did  frequent  class  camping  trips  in  nature.  I  

went  from  a  city  girl  to  a  girl  who  loved  nature

Shanghai,  China

Returning  to  Shanghai

When  I  went  back  to  Shanghai,  my  relatives  insisted   that  I  focus  on  school,   rather  than  extracurricular  activities.  It  made  me  realize  how  much  I  had  changed  while  in  New  Zealand.  I  saw  the  world  more  expansively   and  saw  community  engagement  as  a  core  part  of  my  identity.

As  I  joined   the  expat  community,   I  experienced  two  parallel  yet  different  perspectives   of  expats  and  the  locals.  Wanting  to  show  my  expat  friends  the  Shanghai  I  knew,  I  invited  them  to  dine  with  my  relatives  to  experience  local  cuisine   and  took  them  around  the  local  districts.

Gradually,  I  began  putting  a  big  emphasis   on  cultural  integration,  including   helping  my  friends   deepen  their  understanding   of  the  local  environment.  These  experiences  inspired  my  strong  interest  in  cultural  exchange  and  immersion.  

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My  friends  and  I  are  on  volunteering   trips   in  Li  Jiang,  China

High  School  Graduation  with  family  and  friends

Sunny  SoCal  

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The  most  memorable  activities  at  USC:  International  Student  

Roundtable  with  USC  Administration  

Los  Angeles,  CA

It  wasn’t  until  I  helped  my  business   major  friends   to  organize  a  finance  information  session   that  I  discovered  my  intense  interest  in  finance.  Despite  discovering  my  passion   later  than  most,  I  took  on  numerous  school   year  internships,   self-­‐study  courses  and  eventually  added  the  business   degree  to  prepare  for  a  career  in  banking.

I  was  originally  interested  in  studying  Communication  and  thought  that  Los  Angeles,  the  hub  of  media,  would  be  the  best  place  to  start.  After  a  few  internships   and  classes,   I  wanted  to  explore  other  areas  to  stretch  myself  intellectually.

Our  year  was  marked  by  many          food-­‐focused  events,  International  Food  Fair,  Speed  Friend  Dating,  etc.

Golden  Gate  Bridge  to  Big  Ben

San  Francisco,  CA

Determined  to  put  the  knowledge   I  amassed  during  university   into  a  global  context,  I  decided  to  first  work  in  the  U.S.  The  renowned  Silicon  Valley  deeply  attracted  me  and  I  was  excited  to  cover  the  technology  sector  in  banking.  At  J.P.  Morgan,  not  only  did  I  get  exposure   to  the  brightest  minds   in  the  industry,   I  also  made  amazing  friends   across  cultural  backgrounds.

Later,  I  decided  to  move  to  London   for  my  expat  assignment  to  further  stretch  my  comfort  zone.  There,  I  developed  intercultural  collaboration  skills,   simultaneously   managing  the  various   cultures  of  Pan-­‐European   teammates  on  cross-­‐border  transactions.  Moreover,  London’s   multicultural  work  environment  provided   a  playground  to  synthesize  what  I  had  learned  in  childhood   and  university   to  evaluate  new  regions  that  I  covered  in  a  global  context.

6My  Journey  Across  the  World

Hosting  Thanksgiving  dinner  with  American  and  International  friends  in  SF

J.P.  Morgan  Women  Outing  at                    High  Tea  in  London

London,  U.K.

My  Aspiration

I  look  forward  to  working  as  a  distressed  debt  investor,   enjoying the  

intellectual  challenges  of  taking  contrarian  views  and  spearheading  the  turnaround  of  distressed   companies.

I  aspire  to  become  a  partner  overseeing  the  distressed  portfolio   at  an  American  firm  and  help  it  expand  into  emerging  

markets  to  explore  untapped  opportunities. Satisfying  my  intellectual  

passion,   it  would  be  meaningful  to  improve  these  companies’   health  and  create  impact  beyond   the  investor’s  

bottom  line.  

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Cambridge,   MA

Opportunities   to  acquire  an  investment  framework  at  MIT  are  endless.  

From  flexible  curriculum  and  courses  such   as  “Investment  Management”,  to  Investment  Conference and  on-­‐site  days,   I  can  focus  on  key  areas  of  investing  knowledge  and  converse  directly  with  the  brightest  minds   in  the  industry.  

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At  MIT,  I  am   excited  to  sharpen  my  negotiation  and  communication  skills.   These  skills   are  indispensable  in  distressed   scenarios.

“Game  Theory  for  Strategic  Advantage”  will  help  me  learn  the  key  psychological   drivers  of  negotiation  and  Leadership   Center  offers  a  chance  to  evaluate  and  put  learning  into  practice.  

I  am  excited  for  Action  Learning  Lab  to  focus  on  issues   related  to  the  credit  climate  in  emerging  markets.

"New  Model  for  Global  Business”  will  prepare  me  for  strategic  management  across  borders  and  “Global  markets,  National  Policies,  and  the  Competitive  Advantages  of  Firms”  will  teach  me  how  to  analyze  local  policies   in  relation  to  market  entry.