Success Stories: Duke University Master's in Environmental Management (Energy Concentration)
What better way to encapsulate the collegial, friendly, and fun culture at Duke? Ask the applicants to write an essay detailing 20 random facts!
I have been to all the Disneylands (with the exception of the recently-opened Disneyland Shanghai), and my favorite theme park is not a Disneyland, but the Tokyo Disney Sea! Because of my interest in these theme-parks, my final Geographic Information Systems project in college used satellite and US Geological Survey data for cartographic analyses to recommend the best location for building a new Disneyland in the Bay area.
I have been to 25 countries across 5 continents (North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa).
I am Chinese by ethnicity… except for the 1/16th that is Italian.
I have Hyperacusia, which is a condition that 1 out of 50,000 people have. As a result, my hearing range is 20 decibels below average, effectively changing pianissimo to fortissimo!
I can swim 50 meters (Olympic size pool) under water without taking a breath. Hence my school swim team nickname was "Gill."
High-intensity boxing and Krav Maga are part of my fitness routine, and my boxing gym trainers have worked with world-renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach and former WBO and WBA Flyweight champion Brian Viloria.
I am adventurous when it comes to food and have tried eating ostrich, springbok, kudu, deer, whale, emu, crocodile, kangaroo, snake, turtle, snails, camel, and pork blood clot!
I enjoy fine dining and have been to more than 30 Michelin starred restaurants across the world.
My favorite class in UC Berkeley was Roman History because the professor constantly used extended metaphors, explained cultural nuances, and spoke with an enthusiasm that enabled me to more deeply understand the TV series Spartacus and Rome.
I have taken over 75 hours of cooking classes in San Francisco Cooking School. I love cooking and experimenting with different foods and culinary styles including traditional claypot cooking, curing, pressure cooking, sous vide, and molecular gastronomy.
I memorized the key stats of almost all the rare gold players in the FIFA Soccer video game and with this knowledge, can often predict the outcomes of games in real life.
I love drawing samurais and buff warriors because my favorite anime characters during my childhood were Samurai X and Dragon Ball Z.
I took an environmental management and farming class in UC Berkeley where I grew and ate my own broccoli in order to understand the role that biodiversity plays on soil fertility, pest management, and yield.
I use a Canon EOS Rebel T6 DLSR camera to practice my passion of food, nature, and portrait photography. I have a gallery of photos on my website sgophotography.com.
I know how to drive a stick shift manual transmission car because our family still owns manual transmission cars.
My youngest brother says I am the “most fun” to be with out of his four siblings. It’s most likely because I make sure to spend time with him whenever I am back home.
My two brothers and I own more than 350 3.75” clone and storm trooper action figures. I continue to buy new Star Wars releases today and give them as gifts to my 9 year-old brother.
My youngest sister is a social media influencer for DIY and teen videos, with around 2 million YouTube views and over 50,000 subscribers.
My great great grand half-uncle was president of the Philippines and is pictured in my country’s 50 Peso bill.
Many people say that I look like Donnie Yen from the movie Ip Man.
