Christine Leung
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Gies College of Business
“Lover of trying new restaurants (Beli), thrifting, traveling, jazz, The Office, and sweet treats.”
Fun fact about yourself: My Mom and I share the same birthday!
Hometown: Clarendon Hills, IL
High School: Hinsdale Central
Major: Marketing and Information Systems
Favorite Business Course: BADM 352: Database Design and Management
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Arnold Sepke Scholar, Dean’s List (All Semester)
Enactus (Monarch Project Manager)
Through Enactus, I managed Monarch, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit upcycled-paper card business, and secured a partnership to place our products in Greener Goods, a brick-and-mortar store in downtown Champaign. This experience was so meaningful to me because it was the perfect blend of my passions for sustainability, business, and social impact. It showed me that my interests don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Phi Gamma Nu Business Fraternity (Recruitment Committee, External Chair)
Phi Gamma Nu Business Fraternity gave me opportunities to engage with the Champaign-Urbana community through service initiatives such as volunteering with CU at Home, organizing local park cleanups, and supporting inclusive events like CUSR bowling for individuals with special needs. This organization truly shaped my college experience and I met some of my closest friends through PGN.
Access Multicultural Engagement (Early Arrival Program (EAP) Attendee, EAP Facilitator)
As a freshman, I participated in Access Multicultural Engagement’s Early Arrival Program, arriving on campus a few days before classes to build community through intentional programming and mentorship. On my very first day at UIUC, I met Lalit and Owen, who quickly became two great friends, and I also formed lasting relationships with mentors like Dean White, Dr. White, and Andrea Fierro. The friendships, guidance, and winter study abroad trips to Greece, Morocco, and Spain shaped the trajectory of my college experience. It made campus feel like home from the very beginning. I am so thankful for AME because it also gave me the inspiration to study abroad. My semester abroad in Paris was spent with dear friends who I consider to be lifelong friends.
Council of Presidents (Vice President of Operations)
As VPO on Council of Presidents I brought student leaders together through summits, workshops, and campus-wide events that celebrated everything Gies stands for. From helping organize large gatherings to speaking at the Gies freshman welcome, the role made me feel incredibly connected to the Gies community and grateful to play a small part in shaping the experiences that make our college feel like home.
Gamma Phi Beta Sorority (Panhellenic Vice President)
As Panhellenic Vice President of Gamma Phi Beta, I helped plan the weekends and traditions that brought our 200+ member chapter together, from celebrating seniors to welcoming families onto campus.
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Accenture Strategy Consulting Analyst – Junior Year
- Crowe Business Solutions Consulting Intern – Sophomore Year
- Madison Industries – Freshman Year
Where will you be working after graduation? Accenture Strategy Consulting Analyst – Postgrad
Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite business professor was Aravinda Garimella, who taught BADM 352: Database Design and Management. She is truly one of the best teachers I have ever had because she created a classroom environment where every student felt comfortable contributing and genuinely excited to participate. She explained complex database concepts in multiple different ways until everyone understood, always leading with patience and compassion. What stood out most was how deeply she cared about her students: not just academically, but as people – consistently checking in and making sure we felt supported. She connected technical material to real-world applications through her own professional experience, making a highly technical course engaging and meaningful, and I genuinely looked forward to every class.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I gained from studying business is that business truly exists in every aspect of daily life. From the way products are marketed to the operations behind local coffee shops, business decisions shape so much of what we experience. Once I started recognizing that, I began noticing it everywhere, and it made what I was learning feel real instead of theoretical.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would say you do not need to fit a specific mold to succeed in business. I changed my major four times before landing where I am now, and that process of exploring different paths helped me understand what genuinely interested me. Business is broad and flexible, so give yourself the space to try different areas and trust that your path does not have to be perfectly linear to make sense in the end.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would have gotten more involved in clubs and activities outside of the business bubble. Senior year – living with roommates in architecture, computer science, food science, education, marketing, and dentistry – has shown me how refreshing it is to be around people who think completely differently from I do.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? One way that Gies has integrated AI into the curriculum is through courses and projects where we use tools like ChatGPT to analyze business problems, generate insights, and even assist in tasks like financial modeling or marketing strategy.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? The achievement I’m most proud of is launching the UIUC Senior Gift Initiative, a student-led $25,000 scholarship for an incoming Illini who will be the Class of 2026 Scholar. Our mission, “for students, by students,” is about leaving a meaningful legacy for the Class of 2026, and being able to give back before I’ve even left college feels incredible. It’s an amazing feeling knowing we’re helping someone come to the school that has shaped my life.
Which classmate do you most admire? There are multitudes of classmates that inspire me. I have been lucky to have many older students who were incredible mentors and guided me. That being said, a peer I look up to is Lalit Gurrapu. We met on our very first day of college through the Access and Multicultural Engagement program, and we’ve collaborated on multiple case competitions during our freshman and sophomore years. In junior year, we recruited for jobs together and would practice cases with each other, which ultimately helped both of us land consulting positions. I admire Lalit’s work ethic and his consistent ability to show up and do his best for both himself and others. Even in his senior year, while he could simply be enjoying his last year on campus, Lalit launched a charity. LibraryCreate aims to build libraries in Brazil and Lalit is spending his spring break in Rio, Brazil for this initiative. His generosity, drive, and dedication are truly inspirational to me.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? One person I would like to thank is God for giving me the resources, relationships, and opportunities to succeed. He gave me incredible parents who taught me the importance of living for others; their kindness and selflessness inspire me every day. My brothers Daniel and David have been unconditional supporters and are some of the hardest working and smartest people that I know. From my amazing cousins to dear hometown friends, I feel very blessed, and it only feels right to try to give back even a small portion of what has been given to me.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? One of the top goals on my professional bucket list is to create a meaningful and sustainable impact in whatever career path I pursue. My dad, who leads sustainability initiatives at his firm, has always been a major inspiration to me. Long term, I hope to start my own venture, whether in card making, marketing, or another creative space.
What made Christine such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?
“I first met Christine when she joined me on a global immersion trip as a freshman. Her energy and passion for Gies were unmistakable. From the beginning, she embraced new environments and challenges with curiosity and confidence. Over the years, I’ve watched her continually stretch herself beyond her comfort zone—approaching each opportunity with resilience, determination, and a true “can do” spirit. What distinguishes Christine most, however, is the way she pours into others. She is extraordinarily generous with her time and perspective—mentoring students as they consider studying abroad, helping peers navigate major decisions, and consistently creating spaces where others feel welcomed and included. Whether she’s inviting classmates to join a social event or offering thoughtful guidance to someone unsure of their next step, Christine leads with warmth and authenticity. Her inclusive spirit is magnetic, and her impact on the Gies community will be felt long after she graduates.”
Tiffany White
Professor of Business Administration and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs
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