Alumni Close-Up - George Mao '14

Name: George Mao

Hometown: Danbury, CT

Graduation Year: 2014

Where are you now? I am currently a Senior at Northwestern University

What are you doing? I'm double majoring in Econ and Mathematics with a Minor in Computer Science. I will be starting my job in investment banking in Chicago after I graduate.

What is your favorite Wooster memory? Favorite memories will definitely have to be having Don Quixote day. When the weather starts to get nicer, we will always wait for the bells to ring, put away everything and just forget about school for a day.

What impact did your Wooster education have on you? I think one of the biggest impact that Wooster had on me was the self-help program. I know after reading this there would be a bunch of current students, even some alumni, that are rolling their eyes by now, but to be honest, self-help really developed my self-sufficiency and leadership skills. After coming to college and having a couple of internship, I realized how critical these qualities are when it comes to taking pride in personal space and ownership of your work. Self-help in that sense helped me be prepared to tackle on real-world challenges that are relevant to my everyday life.

What advice would you like to share with current Wooster students? After going through college and job recruitment, I started to really appreciate the importance of networking and building meaningful connections. My advice for current students is to really not be afraid to reach out and talk to people to learn about their experiences and how they got to where they are now. Whether it be Wooster alumni, parents of your friends, or even just a person you admire who does something you are passionate about, they were are all in the same shoes as you were at some point. Learning from them can really help you skip some unnecessary trial and error when it comes to reaching for your goals. For example, if you are interested in a college, don’t be afraid to reach out to current students there to learn what the actual experience is like. Interested in a certain field like finance, fine-arts, or education? Reach out to people who work in these industries to learn about the pros/cons or the first-steps to start your career. If you are lucky, they might even be willing to help you and offer mentorship along the way! So don't be afraid, for you'll be surprised at how willing people are to give advice and talk about their own experiences!