Two From Penn Arts & Sciences Named 2020 Schwarzman Scholars
Yixi (Cecilia) Wan, C'20, W'20, and Annie Sun, C'19, have received the Schwarzman Scholarship, which funds a one-year master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
They are part of the sixth class of Schwarzman Scholars and will enroll at Tsinghua in August 2021. This year, 154 Schwarzman Scholars were selected from more than 3,600 applicants and include students from 39 countries and 99 universities. More than 400 candidates were invited to interview virtually before panels based in Beijing, London, New York, or Singapore. The core curriculum focuses on leadership, China, and global affairs, according to the Schwarzman program. The academics are refined each year to align with current and future geopolitical priorities.
Wang, from Chengdu, Sichuan, China, is in the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management program and is majoring in computational biology, health care management, and statistics, with a minor in computer science. She is simultaneously pursuing a master’s degree in data science through the School of Engineering and Applied Science. She is completing her honors thesis comparing COVID-19 policy responses in different provinces in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea. She also currently leads a research and outreach effort coordinating an international team translating articles from the Chinese Medical Journal Network for global dissemination. Wang has worked on global initiatives in Kenya, Ghana, and China. At Penn, she is the President of the Wharton China Association, a member of the Penn Equestrian Team, and has been a teaching assistant for the Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science course. After completion of the Schwarzman Scholarship, she plans to pursue a master’s in public health and work with an international organization to improve global health.
Sun, from Rochester, Minnesota, received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Arts & Sciences and wrote her honors thesis on nation branding. Sun currently is an associate at L.E.K. Consulting in Boston and is active in pro-bono consulting, leading two project teams in her first year. She recently founded Oraculi, a non-profit mentorship organization that connects young STEM professionals with middle school students. At Penn, Sun was involved in mental wellness reform as Chair of the Penn Undergraduate Health Council. She also was Captain of Penn Latin and Ballroom Dance and continues to compete in ballroom dancing.
Wang and Sun applied for the Schwarzman Scholarship with assistance from Penn’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Penn has had 15 Schwarzman Scholars since the scholarship’s inception in 2016.
