Jeff Yu: 2016 Best and Brightest

Jeff Yu Michigan

Jeff Yu

University of Michigan Ross, School of Business

Hometown: West Windsor, NJ

High School: West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South

Major: Business Administration, emphasis in Strategy & Accounting

Favorite Business Courses: Managerial Accounting, Negotiation & Dispute Resolution, Strategic Management, and Business Communications

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • Campus Day Coordinator, Office of Undergraduate Admissions: Campus Day is the admitted high school students program at The University of Michigan, welcoming over 9,000 visitors every spring
  • BBA Council President
  • Pi Kappa Phi, Alpha Kappa Chapter: Treasurer
  • Teaching Assistant for BA 200: Businesses & Leaders: The Positive Differences
  • Ross Dean Search Advisory Committee: Undergraduate Representative
  • Co-Founder of DebtX Club
  • Detroit Partnership Volunteer

Where have you interned during your college career? 

2013: Roundview Capital, Princeton, NJ : Summer Intern

2014: America Needs You, New York, NY: Executive Office Intern

2015: Navigant Consulting, New York, NY: Summer Associate

Describe your dream job: My dream job would be to drive around the world as a test-driver for a sports car company and subsidize my hotel and meal costs as a professional travel reviewer on the side.

What did you enjoy most about majoring in a business-related field? Endless opportunities. Every company, organization, group, etc. needs a business-minded individual. Studying business has given me transferable skills that have allowed me to work in a variety of industries and roles, and will continue to open doors for me in the future.

Where would you like to work after graduation? I will be working as a Strategy Analyst at Accenture in NYC after graduation.

What are your long-term professional goals? Outside of getting my MBA, my two main professional goals are to sit on the board of a non-profit and to lead a Fortune 100 Company while experiencing as much as possible on the way. I would also love to be a part-time business school lecturer. 

“I knew I wanted to major in business when…I saw just how slow and ineffective our country’s political process is, especially in 2013 during the government shutdown. I knew that if I wanted to make impactful and immediate positive impacts in my community, I would have to be a business leader and not a politician.” 

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be…studying public policy and applying for law school.”

What was the happiest moment of your life? I was in Disney World for my high school senior trip on Spaceship Earth when I found out I was admitted to Michigan.

Which academic or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of the work that I did as a summer intern at America Needs You. I came into the office inspired everyday by the positive impact that the team was making and how my own work would contribute to our overall mission of helping first generation, low-income college students. I still follow America Needs You daily through social media and am excited to see what the bright people their accomplish in the future.

What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? A wolf, because they are pack animals and rely heavily on each other. I can honestly say that without the great people around me, I would not have been as successful as I am today.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I want to thank my family for my success. First, I want to thank my parents, who came to this country with a few hundred dollars and no network to support them. The sacrifices they made and the values they have instilled in me are why I am who I am today. Secondly, I want to acknowledge my sister Janet, who has taught me more than she’ll ever know. As the first in our family to attend school and college in America, I learned invaluable cultural and social knowledge from her that my parents couldn’t teach me. Finally, my identical twin brother, who has been my direct competitor since birth and has always pushed me to continue challenging myself. Whenever he achieves something, I think to myself, “we have the same genes, I can do that too.”

Fun fact about yourself: I once served the late-mathematician and Nobel Prize Winner, John Nash, dinner at a restaurant in my hometown.

Favorite book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Favorite movie: Up

Favorite musical performer: Zac Brown Band

Favorite vacation spot: The Jersey Shore, not the version displayed in the reality show though

What are your hobbies? Playing soccer, driving while singing to guilty pleasures, watching Michigan Football, trying new things and public speaking.

What made Jeff such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2016? 

“Jeff has been a leader in Ross throughout his career/ As a member of, and then president of, the BBA Council, Jeff has provided consistently thoughtful feedback on the student experience. He takes his responsibility and role seriously and is a trusted advisor to administrators. More importantly, he is a respected peer among students and is a reliable voice for their concerns and a conscientious counsel for students.”

Paul Kirsch
Managing Director of the Office of Undergraduate Programs
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

 

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