Current student Yuxi Zhou attained a Bachelors in Economics with a Statistics minor at the University of Tennessee. During her final year of undergraduate study, Yuxi preformed independent research, focusing on the impact of mortality in the aftermath of the 1918 Influenza pandemic on economic outcomes of later decades. Yuxi’s technical skills in data application allows her to analyze and solve social problems. She is passionate about making the world a better place and aspires to dedicate her skills to helping the community.
Q: What do you believe makes Pitt’s MQE Program unique?
A: Pitt MQE stands out because of four specific reasons:
- Variety of courses: Not only do we have abundant professional training in economic thinking and analytics, but we learn professional communication.
- Diversity in the program: Everyone in our program is different, and when we embrace those differences, we can learn a lot about different ways of thinking, cultures, and life philosophies from other classmates.
- Career Services: The MQE Career advisor gives us a lot of support in career advice, and she shares many opportunities that can help us gain professional experience.
- Dedicated professors: MQE professors treat their work very seriously, they give students timely feedback, and even set extra office hours on the weekends. I appreciate their dedication to helping us students learn, and I can tell they truly care about what they are doing.
Q: When you envision your future career, what do you see? And how can MQE help you achieve that image?
A: When I volunteered in New Orleans, I saw first-hand how non-profit organizations helped people in the community. I want to pursue a career in a non-profit, and provide my skills in economics and statistics. As for my dream career? I would love to be a researcher or consultant. I want to learn more about the world and myself, and how we can better the future. Of course, MQE is playing an essential role to help me achieve my goals. The economic theories, data skills, communication skills, and application skills are teaching me how to solve real-world problems. These skills build the foundations for my future career.
Q: What are the classes are you looking forward to the most?
A: If we’re being honest, I am looking forward to every class we have in the program. I always learn a lot from my professors, classmates, and the courses. They encourage me to think differently, and I learn something valuable every day. If I had to choose a favorite, I would say I’m most excited to learn about the skills of applying economic and data concepts to real-world analysis.
Yuki Zhou, current graduate student in the MQE Program, is excited to continue to develop and strengthen her skills throughout her educational career. With her passion for helping others and her determination to succeed, Yuxi aspires to work for a nonprofit organization, where she feels she can make positive, meaningful impacts in the community.