Name: Jessie Chen
Majors: Linguistics; East Asian Languages and Cultures
Minor: Chinese Language
Key Bryn Mawr Experiences:
- President of ASA (Asian Students Association)
- Â鶹AV Dance Program Student Manager
- Pensby Community Diversity Assistant (Denbigh Hall)
- THRIVE Mentor for First Year Undergraduate Students
- Translator for EALC East Asian Languages and Cultures Department
- Communications Associate of Â鶹AV Arts Office
- Bryn Mawr Alumnae Relations and Development Office Phonathon Worker
- Public Relations of Bounce Dance Team (Haverford College)
- Dance Director of Bi-Co Choom Boom
- Fall Student Dance Concert Committee
- Emcee Host of 2018 and 2019 Bi-Co ASA Culture Shows "Unspoken" and "In Bloom"
- Haverford CPGC (Center of Peace and Global Citizenship) 2017 International Internship and 2018 Self Proposed Project Funding Recipient with the Amity Foundation (China)
- LITS Digital Competencies 2017 Digital Bryn Mawr Winning Design
- Fall 2018 Empires 360° Program Participant
- LILAC 2019 Summer Funding Recipient
- 2019 AMO (Alliance of Multicultural Organizations) "Presidential Award" and "Spirit of Service Award" Recipient
- Community Building Honor Roll Award Recipient in 2019 and 2020
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY (but Denbigh will always feel like my home away from home)
Post-graduation plans: I currently work in business development for an e-commerce technological solutions company based in the Netherlands. In my spare time, I continue reflecting on my college experiences on my YouTube channel "Jess Ideas", and also seeking my next opportunity to dance and perform. I plan to continue conducting linguistic research and community development work overseas and hope to one day return to the Tri-Co and my alma mater Stuyvesant High School to deliver a talk on discovering and redefining Asian American voices.
People I want to thank: The friends I've made here that have made my college experience that much more profound. The faculty and staff from all parts of the Tri-Co that believed in me and have watched me grow over the years (especially Ying Liu, Mady Cantor, Yonglin Jiang, and Shizhe Huang). My "hell family" and the strong mentor-mentee network we have created to support each other and carry on the legacy of continued support.
Message for the rest of the Class of 2020: We will definitely remember our graduation forever, and we will be talking about it for years to come.
Words of wisdom for the Class of 2024: It will go by so incredibly fast. Make sure you spend time with those who mean a lot to you. Stay connected to the world. Do what you love and say what you mean wholeheartedly but with an open mind and willingness to change. Let your past guide you and future motivate you, but always be present.
What I will remember most about my time at Bryn Mawr: Feeling the warmth of the stage. Choreographing in the studios. All the laughter-filled nights with good company in my room. Getting through finals weeks and cooking celebratory dinners with Jenn, Sarah, and Connie.
Anything else you’d want to say about your Bryn Mawr experience: It was so, so difficult. But I learned so, so much. Thank you.