Interview Conducted by Luxi Wang – 12/18/2010
Who are you, Kyle Zhang?
My name is Kyle Zhang and I am a junior finance and accounting double major in the R. H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. I am a member of Cohort 17 and a mentor to the Cohort 18 students. I am also the Vice President of Finance for the QSO and an ambassador for the QUEST program. Growing up, I had a lot of international experiences and exposure to different cultures. I am originally from Beijing and went to school in the Philippines for three semesters in middle school. Then after spending a little over a year back in Beijing, I moved to the US about seven years ago at the age of thirteen. I love being active and playing all sports and took part in my high school’s tennis and basketball teams in Bethesda, Maryland. I also started competitive table tennis at the age of seven and ranked 11th in the United States in 2005.
We hear you received an award recently. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
About a month ago, I competed in the annual KPMG case competition with three other members of my professional business fraternity – Alpha Kappa Psi. We acted as consultants to try to find the best solution to a problem that the case presented and put together a presentation in about two days. We then showcased our proposed solutions to a panel of KPMG employers acting as the company’s Board of Directors. Our team was selected as the winner of this competition at University of Maryland and will represent Maryland in the next round of regional competition to be held in Washington D. C. Our goal is to give ourselves a chance at the final round in Turkey in 2011.
What has been your favorite QUEST event so far?
My favorite QUEST event so far has been the annual QUEST camp and I have been very fortunate to have attended the event for each of the last two years, one as a new member of Cohort 17 and one as a mentor to Cohort 18. I really think that this is by far the most exciting event, especially for the members of the new cohort as they get to know their fellow QUEST members and discover for the first time what the program holds for them. The best part of the trip was that the new teams actually got to work on mini projects in the span of two days and presented them to the entire cohort. It was a great opportunity for team dynamics to develop and done in a fun and exciting manner.
What are you looking forward to in your remaining years of QUEST?
For the remaining time here in the QUEST, I plan to maximize the potential experiences in the program. I look forward to choosing a project that I will be passionate about and working well with my team members to successfully complete the final project. I also plan on getting more involved with the QUEST community as well as the events in the program. I will work hard as the VP of Finance to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Last but not least, I will definitely do my best to promote QUEST to potential students who are looking to be a part of the best program at UMD.
What activities are you involved in outside of QUEST?
Outside of QUEST, I am involved in many clubs and organizations as well as sports and hobbies. I am a brother in the Alpha Kappa Psi co-ed professional business fraternity as well as the FBIS club in the business school. In my free time, I like to play sports and go to the gym. I also enjoy playing guitar and cooking whenever I have the time to do so.
How does the post-Terp life look for you?
After graduation, I am looking to get a job in the finance or consulting field. My first choice right now is to work for a big investment bank coming out of college. Other options are to work for a consulting firm or one of the big-four as they are all very good starting points in the beginning of my working career. Eventually, I would like to have a stable job with good benefits and start a family.
Steven Spielberg is making a movie about YOUR life, and asks you to choose your main actor. Who’s it gonna be?
I would choose Jackie Chan. Not only because we both are Chinese, we both experienced the transition between very different cultures and were able to adapt the new environment and achieve great accomplishments on different levels. I envy Jackie Chan’s dedication to his job and the enthusiasm that he puts in every movie he stars in and will give it all to goals that I want to achieve in my life time.