USF International Business Student Begins Work in Shanghai

Professor Stanley Kwong has proudly announced the success of another of his international business students.  In this case, USF School of Business and Professional Studies Alumna Rebekah (Becky) Chang has taken a position with Sival Instruments.  Rebekah generously agreed to answer a few questions for us.

When was your graduation?

I graduated in December 2010 with Magna Cum Laude from the School of Business and Professional Studies.  I also studied abroad during 08-09 at Beijing, China (University of International Business and Economics); With the help and recommendation from Dr. Li Zhiqiang (Assistant Professor and coordinator for Chinese program in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at USF) I was able to earn a full one-year scholarship from the Chinese government.

What was your major?

Major- Business Administration: International Business

Minor- Chinese

What did you study with Professor Kwong?  What would you say about studying with Stanley?

I studied International Business in Spring 2010.

Professor Kwong’s class provided me with a great overview of business on an international level.  With all of his experience working overseas he was able to bring his knowledge into the classroom and teach us how to prepare ourselves working internationally.  You have to appreciate these types of things because you can’t get them from a textbook.

In particular, how did courses in international business and globalization of Chinese business help you to develop professionally?

I have learned so much at USF.  The important thing is that my courses at USF have given me the tools and encouragement to keep learning and growing after graduating. The best part of my job right now is that I’m always learning something new.

What is your new job?

Immediately after my graduation from USF in December I began working for Sival Instruments in San Jose as a Business and Marketing Analyst. My main objective is to help the company grow and eventually go public in China.

The company also has two subsidiaries in China (Shanghai and Qingdao). The company is sending me to Shanghai as an expatriate for 6months. I am very excited about going; I will be leaving almost immediately.

I especially want to thank Professor Kwong for all that he taught me and all that he has done for me.   I recently called upon his advice for understanding some subtleties of U.S. and Chinese currency for important contract negotiations for our company.

Overall, I hope that I will be able to take the resources that he gave me and use them successfully in China.

How did your courses prepare you for this particular job, and to accomplish your professional goals?

My courses at USF have definitely helped prepare me for work. There are many aspects of my job that require me to use my classroom knowledge as well as personal intuition and skills.

For example I’ve had to pull out my international finance book from last year to get a refresher on different funding options then use those to create a PowerPoint presentation that would be understandable to business and non-business associates.

If you were speaking to a prospective student about USF School of Business and Professional Studies, what would you say to suggest that he or she attend the school?

I really encourage people to do something that they enjoy. No matter what it is if you truly enjoy it you will be successful.  This school is a great place to enjoy success.