By Colin Jun
Author of “Broke Millenial: Stop Scraping by and Get Your Financial Life Together” and SAS alumnus Erin Lowry spoke at Hyatt on the Bund as part of SAS Alumni Spotlight speaker’s series on January 10th, 2019.
Lowry shared her success story as an international student. Lowry started her presentation by explaining her life as a child of expats, detailing her frequent moves from North Carolina to Shanghai, China to Kyoto, Japan. Next, she explained why she chose IB and AP mix classes and told the story behind her university choice.
Then, Lowry shared her knowledge on achieving success as a student and an adult. Her first point was the use of “networking.” By using an anecdote on how she got an opportunity to intern at CNN Atlanta through the networking with other alumni in her university, she emphasized the importance of networking in achieving one’s dream while getting a position in a job market.
With another anecdote on how she got a job in the David Letterman Show through her relationship with university alumni, Lowry highlights how maintaining relationships allowed her to have access to more opportunities than other people.
Her second point was to “ask for an order” when there is a chance. To explain her point, she described how she got writing opportunities in several media. Whenever she had an interview with a media outlet or received compliments from journalists, Lowry always asked them whether there is an opportunity for her to write an article. Through this process, she was able to publish her writings in various media in a short period. Lowry emphasized that it is important for students to take challenges and “ask for an order” whenever they see a chance to achieve their dream.
Lowry explained how she became a successful financial expert without a degree in finance or economics. At the end of the presentation, Lowry had a Q&A session and signed books for all audience members.
The presentation received varying comments. A SAS alumnus who graduated SASPD middle school in 2015 said, “it was an insightful lecture, especially because I am a senior in college. It was a perfect opportunity to learn.”
8th-grade students from SAS Puxi provided slightly different perspectives. One student said, “it is a good way for us to learn and prepare what will come up in the future. Especially, as we learn from the person who already went through all the process.”
Another student said, “I think this lecture was good as it explains how you should be independent and how you should not be afraid of dealing with money in the future.”