East Asian Languages & Cultures
Alumnae Corner

Alumnae Spotlight

Submitted by mjennin3 on December 1, 2021 - 4:55pm

Xiao "CL" Tian '10

CL is currently the business owner of PINKOA and a consultant.

How did your EALC Major/Minor contribute or influence your future on a professional and/or personal level?

I now do projects with owners of multinational companies who focus on China or Japan, traveling there 1-2 times a year, and linking them with opportunities in the US. My clients in the US rely on my expertise about the countries to do joint projects with my clients/contacts in East Asia.

Are you using your EALC language, literature, cultural studies experiences in the workplace?

Yes. I do business with China and Japan, using the Japanese language and culture I learned during study abroad to make doing business easier. Contacts abroad trust me more because I have a deeper understanding of their backgrounds/traditions/expectations because of what I learned at Wellesley.

Were your study abroad and/or internships experiences relevant to your career path?

Yes. The connections, language training, and intuition I had developed from study abroad I now use to advise clients on entering the Japanese market and developing partnerships.