Elaine Lee

Rutgers Business School-New Brunswick

“Daughter, sister, aunt. Friend, student, mentor. Curious, driven, headstrong. Likes soul-searching. Also loves rice.”

Fun fact about yourself: I model for a cultural theatrical fashion show on campus.

Hometown: I was born in Penang, Malaysia

High School: Montgomery High School

Major: Supply Chain Management

Minor: Asian Studies

Favorite Business Course: Project Management

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurricular/Community Activities

• Rutgers Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda
  • 2015-2016: Historian-Webmaster Committee Member
  • 2016-2017: Professional Development Director
• Rutgers No More
  • 2016-2017: Content Creator Committee
• Rutgers chapter, Beta Gamma Sigma, International Business Honor Society
  • 2017-2018: Historian
  • 2018-2019: President
  • 2017-2019: Peer Mentor
• Rutgers Asian American Cultural Center
  • Spring 2018: Junior Intern
  • 2018-2019: Senior Intern
  • 2017-2019: Peer Mentor

Honors/Awards

• Rutgers Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda
  • NJ State Leadership Conference
    • Retail Management, 2nd Place, April 2017
    • Microeconomics, 1st Honors, April 2016
    • Management Concepts, 3rd Honors, April 2016
  • National Leadership Conference
    • Microeconomics, 4th Place, June 2016
  • Rutgers Business School Dean’s List (GPA 3.5+)
    • Fall 2015-Fall 2018
  • Rutgers University Scarlet Scholarship Recipient (renewable with 3.5+ GPA)
    • Fall 2015-Spring 2019
  • Rutgers Business School Scholarship Recipient
    • 2018-2019

Where have you interned during your college career?

• New Jersey Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda State Office
  • Piscataway, NJ
  • Office Intern
• Universal Nutrition
  • New Brunswick, NJ
  • Inventory Management Intern
• Ross Stores, Inc
  • New York, NY
  • Location Planning Analyst Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? Ross Stores, Inc; Location Planning Analyst

What company do you admire most? I really admire the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), an organization that advocates for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the entertainment industry. As I love storytelling and advocating for my community, CAPE is an exemplary manifestation of my passions. Not only does it champion diversity, it implements programs such as the New Writers Fellowship and the I Am campaign in order to advance its mission. It may not be a multinational corporation, but it was founded to help the community. This is the type of career I aspire to have.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? Meeting so many driven students who use knowledge and skills learned from the business school to pursue their passions.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? It’s not about what you know, but how you use what you know.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Choosing a business-related major is a great idea because these majors tend to be very versatile. In addition, I always recommend choosing another major/minor that relates to a personal passion or even getting involved with a student organization that fulfills your own interests. I find it important to be driven by passion – this is how you’ll really succeed.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business?I had assumed that majoring in business meant a certain type of career – corporate office, nine-to-five days, meetings after meetings, endless paperwork. But after my classes, internships, and work experiences, I’ve come to realize that it’s not necessarily true. You can pursue whichever kind of career you desire. That’s what I love about majoring in business. It teaches you so many important skills so you can go out into the world to find what you love to do.

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…Entertainment production/management because I love creating content and telling stories, whether my own or others’ – and using that story to impact at least one person.”

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? I had always wanted to study business in college, simply because I did not know what else I would study. However, I was glad to have stumbled across supply chain management as a major because I found that I was very compatible with its data- and detail-oriented nature. I especially loved what I learned in project management. For these reasons, I continued my studies in the business school.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of my involvement with the Asian American Cultural Center, which started with my junior internship and led to my eventual promotion to senior internship. During my time as an intern, I have been able to gain better insight into the issues that my community is facing. I have learned and am continuing to learn about the history and struggles of my community and how much there is left to do. I am incredibly grateful that I am able to contribute to a cause that I am passionate about.

Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I most admire is Wee Siang Tay. He is an extremely involved individual, participating in numerous mentoring programs as well as economics/finance organizations. He had an internship with the Asian American Cultural Center and a Chinese dance troupe. Meanwhile, he is also in the middle of his capstone project, writing a research paper about the relationship between healthcare and Asian Americans. Moreover, he is also an international student, dealing with the stress of finding a job post-graduation that would hopefully sponsor his stay in the United States. However, the most impressive fact is not that he is involved. It’s the fact that despite all the constant workload and the inevitable stress, he never ever fails to greet everyone with a genuine smile and a question about how they are doing. This warrants my admiration most of all.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my sister for my success. While so many people in my life have helped me get to where I am today, my sister has been there through every step of the way. When I was plagued with self-doubt, she encouraged me to believe in myself. She listed examples of my achievements and told me that my concerns were baseless. Sometimes, she likes to show tough love, but fortunately, it’s effective on me. I was able to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone and become more confident as a result of her constant guidance.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

• To learn about video production and editing so I can create videos highlighting Asian American experiences
• To travel the world

What are your hobbies? Hand lettering, bullet journaling, traveling, cultural studies

What made Elaine such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2019?  

“Elaine is the current president of Beta Gamma Sigma, a fully dedicated leader who has brought about positive change for the well-respected honor society. She has proven that she can juggle a host of responsibilities, by involving other members of the board and continuously takes the initiative to make good things happen.  She comes to meetings with fresh new ideas and is open to any suggestions that will enhance the growth and mission of the society. However, this is not the only hat she wears. She is also currently the senior Intern for the Asian American Cultural Center at Rutgers University.

She is the 2018 recipient of the Alumni Association Prize, which is awarded to students with outstanding achievement in scholastic and extracurricular activities.  She is also the recipient of the School of Business Scholarship, which is given to a senior with strong academic performance.”

Martin Markowitz
Senior Associate Dean
Rutgers Business School-New Brunswick