Exploring Business and Theater
Washington University in St. Louis graduate Mimi Wang is pursuing an M.B.A. at her alma mater to enhance her leadership skills and gain a better understanding of the business world.
Wang grew up in Carmel, Indiana, where she attended University High School. She ran cross country and took part in theater. Wang’s interest in chemistry came from the experiences she had with her various chemistry teachers throughout high school.
During college, Wang continued to be involved in theater, both performing onstage and working on props and scenery behind the stage. One of her favorite experiences was the time she made a pie prop for a show because she got to put her creativity and prop-making skills to the test.
She said, “I’ve loved theater since I was a child, so the decision to be involved came naturally to me.”
She also volunteered at the campus Y.M.C.A. in various capacities, including leading a group that taught theater to middle school students. Through warm-up exercises and monologue and scene work, she taught kids the importance of teamwork and how to be more confident on stage. She said the program showed her the joys that can come from both theater and teaching.
Undergraduate research
She used her Stamps enrichment fund to attend summer chemistry classes and to work in a chemistry research lab, where she studied the chemistry of both organic and inorganic elements. She attempted to synthesize new compounds that had yet to be synthesized but whose chemical structures she had predicted using calculational models and were theoretically supported by past research.
In her free time, she enjoys performance-related activities such as singing, acting, and dancing. She also likes to play strategy games, though admits she is still an amateur.
Looking forward
Since graduating last May and starting WashU’s master’s in business administration program, she has dedicated most of her time to the rigors of the program and to the search for postgraduate work. Her professional goal is to find a job at a company that shares her values. Outside of school and work, she plans to join a theatrical group.
“When things get tough and the stress builds up, I remember the Velvet Crowe quote, “Forgotten maxim: never give up, no matter what!” she said. “I use it to remind myself to keep going. It is something that I reminded myself of when I got the help from the Stamps Foundation after I thought I wouldn’t be able to attend WashU for undergrad. It is definitely something that I will have to keep reminding myself of as I move forward and try to achieve all of my goals in life.”
*****
By Hannah Steinkopf-Frank