Alumni Check-in: Phoebe Tsai (Class of 2025)

Q. Where do you live now? Why? What are you doing?

A: Boston, Massachusetts, studying Finance at Boston College

Q. What are the biggest differences between there and Kaohsiung? What’s the biggest similarities? 

The weather, its colddd.

10°C in Boston and Kaohsiung, same temp, but hit different

I’ll layer up in Kaohsiung while wearing a tank top here in -15°

The convenience (I have to cook and meal prep for every meal) and nothing is really “walking distance” 

You can actually “see”

The whole city in Kaohsiung is blocked by buildings whereas you can see miles away in Boston

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

Wed: 2 coffee chats for investment banking, visited the nurse because I keep getting sick in college, school work, self learning financial modeling

Thurs: 5 classes (I put all my classes on tues and thursday so I have a 4 day weekend every week), investment club meeting, call parents and brother!, laundry….(I hate being an adult)

Friday: On campus wall street networking event, stats class group project meeting, do some hw, case race (drinking competition at my friends sister’s dorm lol)

Q. What's one thing you miss most about being a high school student?

A: having a familiar setting and community. in college everyday looks different and I am doing something new everyday with new people.

Q. What's the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the "real world" that you wish you knew while you were in high school?

A: Adult life is fun and lots of freedom but also much more responsibility. Eg, bad habits= bad health, responsible for all chores and taking care of every minuscule thing that happens to you in life.

Q. What advice would you give to your high school self?

A: Have more fun and do everything, its not that serious

Q. Did your KAS experience prepare you for life after graduation?

A: Yes, lots of positions in clubs and taking IB along with some self taking AP's and other college prep stuff really set me up to planning my life in college whether it is daily life or being involved in campus or building connections through networking with upper classmen.

Q. What are you looking forward to most in the next five years?

A: Employment (idk if ill think that when i’m actually employed).

Q. Anything else? 

A: Cherish your high school friends they feel different from college friends. (love both but its just different ).