Academic Program

I have a detailed D-Plan laid out for my academic journey. Here’s a breakdown of my first year:

• First Year

1. Fall (On Campus)
   • Favorite Class: CHIN 001

   This is an introductory Chinese class for beginners that provides a foundational understanding of the language, including pinyin, proper tones, pronunciation, character writing, basic vocabulary, and sentence structures.

2. Winter (On Campus)
   • Favorite Class: ENGS 12 Design Thinking

   This is a dynamic, hands-on course that emphasizes empathy-driven problem solving, rapid prototyping, and collaborative innovation through team projects, energizing activities, and practical skill-building sessions.

3. Spring (On Campus)
   • Favorite Class: CHIN 003

   This course builds on the foundations of Chinese 001 and 002 by introducing more sentence structures and vocabulary, with regular weekly drills to strengthen speaking and tonal pronunciation, and a shift from traditional to simplified characters in the final three weeks.

4. Summer (Off Campus)
   • Favorite Class: CHIN 22 Intermediate Modern Chinese (Second-year level)

   This course builds on introductory Chinese 1, 2, and 3, and deepens previously learned material through more complex grammar, sentence structures, and expanded vocabulary.

For my sophomore year, here’s my plan:

• Fall (On Campus)
  • Favorite Class: FILM 40 Theories and Methodologies of Film and Media Studies

  This is a film theory course that builds on some prior intro experience, where you watch, analyze, discuss, and write about films across different genres while learning how to apply various theories.

• Winter (Off Campus)
• Spring (On Campus)
  • Favorite Class: Cinematography I: Lighting and Composition

  This class teaches the fundamentals of camera operation while giving students the opportunity to experiment with different techniques and styles, culminating in the production of three original films throughout the semester.

• Summer (On Campus)
  • Favorite Class: FILM 39 Advanced Videomaking: Group Documentary

  This course involves watching and discussing a range of example documentaries while completing hands-on exercises to build editing and production skills. Students also develop and produce an original 10-minute documentary, gaining experience with filming, storytelling, and editing from concept through completion. The course culminates in an official screening of the completed films.

A Day in My Life

7:00 A.M. — Yoga Sculpt

I started my day with a 7:00 a.m. Yoga Sculpt class at CorePower Yoga, one of my favorite workout studios. I love starting my mornings with something active to get my blood flowing and work up a sweat, especially since the class is heated. Showering afterward is the best feeling in the world, and I always leave feeling so productive.

8:15 A.M. — Commute to Work

Then, I drove to work! While doing this internship, I’m living at home in Pasadena, and the office is in Downtown LA, so my morning commute usually takes around 45 minutes with traffic.

9:00 A.M. — Starting the Workday

My workday starts at 9:00 a.m., so I usually head into the office and get settled at my desk! I work closely with two bosses, so once everyone arrives, we have a quick morning check-in to go over our priorities and plan out the day. Still kind of surreal seeing my name here. I work in the Marketing and Communications department, and so far, every day has looked a little different! From 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. today, I worked on everything from building social media reports and sitting in on meetings to helping coordinate events and travel and writing stories for AGBOverse. Check out my latest story highlighting some of the creatives behind Avengers: Endgame here! The office is genuinely the coolest place ever! More photos of the office!

12:00 P.M. — Lunch Break

Around noon, I take my lunch break. Today, we had a catered lunch with sandwiches and salad! It was also Spirit Week at the office, hence the Lorax costume you see pictured. Casual Lorax sighting at lunch.

1:00 P.M. — Back to Work

Then, it was back to work! Our priorities often depend on the projects and releases we have coming up. Right now, a lot of our focus is on building excitement around Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18, so I’ve been working on related projects like the upcoming Avengers: Endgame encore. A hat I was given! Some pretty cool office merch!

3:00 P.M. — A Change of Scenery

There are lots of cool spots around the office to work, so I decided to work outside for a bit since the weather was starting to cool down. The office also has plenty of snacks and drinks, so I grabbed my favorite, put on my headphones, and got to work! Some pretty cool office merch!

6:00 P.M. — Clocking Out

After work, I changed and drove to the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where I finally got to meet my Dartmouth Center for Social Impact mentor, Matthew, in person! He happened to be in Los Angeles for only two days and invited me to the premiere of Seniors, a film directed by one of his longtime friends. We grabbed dinner and watched the film together, followed by a Q&A session and an afterparty! A little red carpet action before the screening! After months of talking over the phone, we finally got to meet in person!

Late Night — Heading Home

And that was my day! After the premiere, I drove back home, got ready for bed, and called it a night. Goodnight! 🙂

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