Tsang-Yung Wu, MEng ’21 (EECS): From Taiwan to Tesla
On reflections from his time in the Berkeley MEng program and the impact he’d like to make as an engineer
Tsang-Yung “Eric” Wu graduated from the Berkeley MEng program in 2021, where he studied Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences (EECS) with a concentration in Physical Electronics and Integrated Circuits. Prior to the MEng program, Eric earned his bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering at National Taiwan University. He is currently a Software Engineer at Tesla. Here, he shares
What have you been up to since you graduated from the MEng program?
UC Berkeley is truly a great school. I am honored to be a UC Berkeley alumni and the connections we have around tech industries are helpful. This helped me find a role at one of the greatest companies in the US: Tesla. The technical skills and leadership courses at UC Berkeley shaped me to be a great engineer. The MEng program gave me the skills I needed to work in such a dynamic and fast-growing company where I am able to take on several responsibilities and make an immediate impact.
“I didn’t want to be just an engineer.”
What motivated you to pursue a Master of Engineering degree?
I didn’t want to be just an engineer. I was interested in having some leadership training and knowledge of how to run things along with my engineering background. UC Berkeley’s Master of Engineering degree provides this training. It is important to have different perspectives when addressing an engineering problem before solving and scaling it.
During your time as a student, how did you approach and navigate the vast amount of resources available at UC Berkeley?
I was a student at UC Berkeley during COVID-19 pandemic, so it was initially difficult for me to virtually navigate the resources. Over time, I found there were plenty of resources available online, along with supportive professors and faculty. When I felt discouraged while job hunting, I reached out to the Career Center and scheduled a Zoom meeting for advice. When I had technical questions on my resume, I reached out to a teaching assistant in one of my classes for advice and guidance. When I felt alone in the US as an international student, I went to my Taiwanese community to hang out and chat with people. People at UC Berkeley are generally willing to help, and if you have questions, passions, and desires to learn, they will help you achieve your goals! Future MEngers, please ask questions, reach out for help, and be passionate about everything around you.
“People at UC Berkeley are generally willing to help, and if you have questions, passions, and desires to learn, they will help you achieve your goals!”
What kind of impact do you want to have on the world?
I would like to apply what I have learned to create more opportunities for myself, and hopefully change some part of the world. I firmly believe that our knowledge is very precious and invaluable, and we should utilize it to create something different that other people would not think of or fail to implement.
What are some of your hobbies/passions?
I like to dance and I like to listen to music. I think these habits make me more creative, allowing me to get away from daily work and life pressure.
Is there something you are currently working on/interested in that you would like to share?
I enjoy writing articles about technology, specifically for chip industries. I am currently working on a summary about what Nvidia has shared at the 2021 GPU Technology Conference (GTC). The reason I do this is because I would like to share what I have learned in school to general audiences. Through this, I am able to learn and share my knowledge with the the general public.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is: “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle” quoted from Steve Jobs when he delivered a speech at Stanford University. The core part of the quote for me is “don’t settle.” Always fight for greatness, be passionate. Don’t be afraid to feel that you are not feeling confident about the future. As long as you don’t settle for where you are, you will learn, and become a better person while you are looking.
Edited by Ashley Villanueva
