Frank Fan, M&T ’19
Hometown:
Shanghai, China
Engineering Major:
Electrical Engineering
Wharton Concentration:
Finance
Minor:
Computer Science
WHY M&T
I chose M&T because of the strong interest in engineering that I developed in high school and the spectacular experience I had in M&TSI. After enjoying a variety of math and science courses, I decided I wanted to pursue an engineering major in college. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend M&TSI, which exposed me to a completely new world in engineering. I was exposed to business fundamentals and the core idea of how to turn technological innovation into marketable products. Those extraordinary three weeks and the friendly people I met from M&T inspired me to become a member of M&T family.
FAVORITE CLASS
ESE 301. This class focuses on probability theory. Instead of going through the concepts and mathematical derivations in every single lecture, Professor Venkatesh made this class appealing by integrating numerous real-life problems. He connected the material to winning a tennis match, leading the presidential debate, and predicting stock prices. It was such a pleasure to see him presenting some of his research during class. The well-rounded nature of Penn faculty impressed me. They not only teach great classes but stay at the forefront of research as well.
ACTIVITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL
I ran cross-country for three years and was on the varsity team for two years. I was also the co-head of our international students’ group. My co-head and I took a series of initiatives to enhance the interaction between American students and international students at my high school. I was also head of our school Math Team.
LIFE AT PENN
Indeed, life at Penn is busy for me, but it is so amazing! I feel everything I do here is worthwhile. I am learning something new and improving myself in some way every single day. Besides schoolwork, I spend a lot of my time hanging out with my friends, cooking together, singing Karaoke, or going for a hiking trip on a Saturday. I also use the gym a lot to play basketball with my friends and workout.
M&T COMMUNITY
Every single person in the M&T community impresses me with something different. I am so glad a group of highly intelligent, well-rounded, and ambitious individuals surround me. One thing that stands out to me is everyone is willing to spend the time to know others in the community. Since the beginning of last semester, I have tried my best to set up a Saturday lunch with different M&Ts every week. I got to know many M&Ts I was previously not very close to and hear their interesting life stories. All M&Ts are super supportive of each other in both academics and career development. If I have a question, I know I can ask my M&T friends and I am always certain someone will have a perfect answer.
ACTIVITIES AT PENN
I am a member of the Wharton Investment & Trading Group TMT Investment team. My teammates and I gather every week to discuss industry trends, work on case analysis, and conduct in-depth research on specific companies. I am also the executive president of Wharton China Association. I oversee five different committees and help Wharton students learn more about business in China and Chinese culture. Last but not the least; I am on the M&T Innovation Fund Value Creation team. I work closely with our portfolio companies to help them grow.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT PHILADELPHIA
It is just the perfect size! Although I grew up in Shanghai and loved the infinite offerings of NYC, I feel Philadelphia is just the right size to find stuff to do when I am bored and not be bothered by the noisiness or crowdedness.