Where can you
r Economics degree take you? For two recent graduates, the answer is: a prestigious master’s degree program at China’s Tsinghua University.
Alice Huang, a 2016 graduate and Emily Venturi, a 2018 graduate, have been selected for the 2019 cohort of the Schwarzman Scholars program. This elite scholarship modeled after the Rhodes Scholarship was founded by Blackstone co-founder and CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman. There are 140 Schwarzman Scholars chosen from around the world each year, and this year two came from Gardner Hall.
“Being named a Schwarzman scholar is an exceptional achievement. This scholarship is also a passport to international studies and new experiences for these two amazingly talented graduates,” said Chancellor Carol L Folt. “Thanks to the Schwarzman opportunity, Emily will continue her insightful work in the area of refugee protection, and Alice will take her studies in development economics to the next level. I know we will read about their successes in the years to come.”
Emily is from Trieste, Italy. She graduated from Carolina in 2018 with highest distinction in political science and economics. Emily currently works in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the Division of Resilience and Solutions.
Professor Rita Balaban remembers Emily well. “She took Econ 101H [Honors Introductory Economics] with me in the fall. At the end of the semester she had asked me if I could recommend any books in the area of development economics that she could read over winter break. I shared some with Emily, who wrote me a warm thank you note and let me know that she had already checked 3 of the books out of the library. So it is clear that she had a keen interest in development issues even in her first years at UNC.”
Alice is from Chapel Hill. She graduated from Carolina in 2016 with highest distinction in economics and mathematics. Alice currently works in New York City as an associate analyst and research assistant for NERO Economic Consulting.
Professor Klara Peter was the advisor for the Senior Honors Thesis program during Alice’s senior year, and remembers Alice fondly. “During the time I worked with her, Alice consistently demonstrated her intelligence and he aptitude for doing high-quality research. She is highly motivated, strives to learn and never hesitates to share the up-to-date knowledge with others as well. My admiration for her grew even further after the graduation when she decided to gain the real-life experience and chose to go to poor neighborhoods of India to teach English.”
You can read more about them in the University’s post .
Congratulations, Alice and Emily!