Hi! I'm Tu, a senior at Wharton studying Finance and ESG. I've had the traditional college experience, missing my parents halfway into freshman year, pulling all-nighters studying for my finals in the business building, and partying it up for St. Patty's; but I also showed up to Penn not knowing a single person on campus, and somehow ended up finding my ride-or-die friends from my love for energy, entrepreneurship, and SoulCycle. When I'm not buried in a financial model, you'll find me making my own matcha, choreographing Vietnamese fan dance with VSA, or taking a spontaneous trip to New York. I've spent my summers working in energy and climate finance from New York to Houston, and I'll always give it to you straight about what Penn life and the recruiting grind is really like.

Hometown

Fort Smith, Arkansas ​/​ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Major(s)

Finance and ESG

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Sigma Eta Pi; Wharton Impact Venture Associates (Climate); Wharton Undergraduate Energy Club (Energy Finance Committee); Wharton Asia Exchange (Energy & Industrials); Penn Climate Ventures; Vietnamese Student Association; Bet on Entrepreneurship

Describe your college experience

UPenn was difficult to adjust to, coming from a smaller town background, but the biggest perk of the school is simply how diverse the academic, social, and professional backgrounds of my peers and professors are. It's difficult to not eventually find a community, and my friends here are some of the best people I got to met thanks to UPenn. It opens my eyes to be able to talk to so many bright, hardworking, and passionate people, and I can't complain the professional impact of being able to speak about my Wharton background in networking, interviews, and to others senior to me.

Tip for future students

It's okay to not optimize your academic and professional paths as a lot of the best gifts (mentors, experience, new perspectives) come from unexpected decisions and taking the slightly derailed path.

Favorite class

Valuation - truly encapsulates what it feels like to study under professors who pioneer the finance industry. The stories Professor Wessels bring to the classroom and the way they connect academic theories to real life applications make the class so much more engaging. I still mention his materials in a lot of my banking interviews, and it gets me a lot of brownie points.

Career goals

I'll be joining J.P. Morgan full-time as an investment banking analyst.

Ideal way to spend a free night

I'd watch a movie, maybe invite a friend, make my own matcha, and play board games.

High school or secondary school

Southside High School

Favorite spot on campus

Molly Tea on 37th and Chestnut - Reminds me of all the fun time I've hung out with friends, done coffee chats, or just studied here.