Veronica Chua ('18C) Schwarzman Scholar
Award
Award supported
Fully funded one-year Master’s degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China
Undergraduate major(s)
Emory & Georgia Tech Dual Degree Engineering Program; Mathematics, Economics, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Currently
Works as a consultant at McKinsey & Company pursuing the two-year Operations Excellence Program. She helps clients pinpoint and address key vulnerabilities in their Manufacturing & Supply Chain operations. Outside of work, Veronica serves on the Emory Woodruff Alumni Advisory Board and founded the “Woodruff 1-on-1” video interview series, where she hosts monthly conversations with alumni about their life journey in under 20 minutes.
Q: What experiences at Emory prepared you to be a Schwarzman scholar?
A: During my time at Emory, I was part of the Dual Degree Engineering program with Georgia Tech. This program allowed me to uniquely merge a liberal arts education with a STEM education, which was challenging yet rewarding. It expanded my intellectual boundaries and taught me how to adapt to contrasting environments. For example, my liberal arts pushed me to exercise my interdisciplinary muscle by taking courses from a diverse set of departments; while, my STEM education exposed me to complex engineering problems that required deep technical knowledge to solve. The ability to stay flexible is a skill set that I took with me to the Schwarzman Scholars program and beyond.
Q: What memorable or interesting things happened during your scholarship/fellowship experience? What, if anything, surprised you?
A: Mentorship played an especially powerful role during my time in Beijing. Elliot David (fellow Schwarzman Scholar) and I got paired up with Dr. Feng An (see group photo), Founder & Executive Director of the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation. As a leading expert in clean energy technologies and climate policies, Dr. An got us involved in his cutting-edge work, like drafting a proposal to promote LNG trade between the US and China. Throughout the year, he also invited us to visit his Beijing office where we personally met his entire team, interacted with them one-on-one, and shared a meal. These types of professional and informal experiences affirmed the mentorship bond and made us feel at home in China.
Q: What advice would you give current applicants, or to students considering applying for a nationally competitive award?
A: Personal reflection is an absolutely necessary part of the application process. It is important to think back on your personal journey and identify the distinctive themes that represent who you are. Don’t be afraid to ask yourself probing questions like: How do I connect the dots of my story? What goals do I seek to achieve and how will this program help me reach my goals? What have I done in the past to bring my story to life? All of these introspective thoughts craft your narrative and should be clearly woven throughout your application materials. You are a unique individual with a bold future ahead, so make sure that shines through!
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
A: I want to express my gratitude to Megan Friddle and Liz Alexander for their unwavering support throughout my application process for the Schwarzman Scholars program. They did everything possible to ensure I was well prepared from start to finish. I highly encourage all students to schedule an appointment with the National Scholarship and Fellowships team and seek guidance on your plans to apply for an award.