Summer in Shanghai
Vicky Yeung, ’19, is an economics major at Stanford who spent her summer working as a financial planning and analysis intern at Gap, Inc., in Shanghai, as part of the Stanford Global Studies Internship Program. View the video Vicky made about her experience and read our Q&A with her below.
What were some of the highlights of your summer internship?
The Stanford community is strong — even off-campus. One of the greatest highlights from my summer internship was the community among the SGS interns. We would often take weekend trips to cities outside of Shanghai, visit attractions in Shanghai and go to the Bund [a waterfront area in Shanghai). I attended various Stanford Alumni Club events, including a talk featuring Los Angeles Times reporter Jonathan Kaiman, who spoke about his experiences in North Korea. The CFO of Gap China also invited the Stanford interns out for dinner and shared her experiences, which was really nice of her.
What kind of impact did this experience have on you ?
I felt a need to learn more about my roots after learning Mandarin at Stanford, and this program enabled me to do so. I sought to immerse myself in a culture that had become foreign to me. During my time in China, I went to a tea ceremony in Tianzifang. The shopkeeper was from my parents’ hometown of Fuzhou, and we were able to talk in Mandarin for an hour about the origins of his tea, what the town is like now, and our own backgrounds. I met a Stanford alumnus, and he was kind enough to tell me about China’s history and his family’s involvement. The program also funded my weekend trip to Hong Kong.
My heart feels full after this journey. It was not without challenges, but I came to Shanghai looking for answers, seeking to be challenged, wanting to re-discover a part of myself.
Any advice/words of wisdom to future interns in Shanghai?
Keep your mind open to new experiences — that’s why you came to a foreign country. Understand why this country is different from your own, not just how.
The Global Studies Internship program sends Stanford students from any major to pursue internship opportunities in more than 20 countries every summer. Visit the website for more information about the program.
