For Will Xu, being a scholarship recipient is about financial aid鈥攂ut also freedom.
His CU scholarships gave Xu the flexibility to take extra courses he otherwise may have passed on in order to complete his degree requirements.
鈥淎 class I loved that I felt I was able to take because of my scholarships was Financial Markets and Institutions,鈥� said Xu, who accepted a full-time offer at Goldman Sachs starting this summer. 鈥淚t really aligned with my passion for finance and was helpful in setting my career direction. There are so many really motivated students at Leeds who contribute to this great academic environment.鈥�
Scholarship support also gave Xu the flexibility to pursue extracurricular opportunities. He consulted for a CU startup, held leadership roles with the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity and started a Phi Beta Lambda chapter at CU Boulder.
In his extracurriculars, Xu鈥攁 first-generation student whose parents immigrated to Colorado from China鈥攌eeps in mind the idea of giving back, especially after meeting Jennifer and Eric Ostenson, who support the Hummel Scholars program created by Jennifer鈥檚 father, Robert Hummel.
鈥淓ric and Jen have been great role models to me,鈥� he said. 鈥淛en said her father always talked about paying it forward, however you can. For students, it means volunteering and being as involved as we can in the Leeds community.鈥�
That鈥檚 why Xu created the Phi Beta Lambda chapter at Leeds: His introduction to business was through Future Business Leaders of America鈥攖he high school version of Phi Beta Lambda. It鈥檚 also why he works as an employer relations ambassador for the Career Development Office.
鈥淭he reason I got involved was to help other students through the process of going to career fairs and meet-and-greet events,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nything I can do to help companies engage students is my way of paying it forward.鈥�