Student Profiles
Mary Schulman, '14
I had my heart set on majoring in East Asian Studies ever since I arrived at Princeton from Fairfield, CT. I studied Chinese in high school and helped teach the first- and second-year Chinese courses as a high school senior. I was fascinated by China’s uniquely ancient cultural heritage and the mechanics of the Chinese language—as a tonal language in which verbs are not conjugated and which often draws sharper distinctions between concrete and abstract nouns than between nouns and verbs, Chinese shapes and communicates ideas very differently than does English. The interdisciplinary nature of the East Asian Studies department and the excellence of the Chinese language program have been invaluable in my exploration of this theme. My independent research focuses on the concept of freedom in the Chinese intellectual tradition and incorporates both classical Chinese and Western philosophy. I am pursuing a certificate in Humanistic Studies due to the cross-cultural nature of my research; I have also studied language more broadly from evolutionary, neurological, and cultural perspectives.
I studied Chinese at Beijing Normal University through the Princeton in Beijing program the summer after my freshman year, which reinforced my interest in and respect for Chinese culture. The experience of communicating only in Mandarin for eight weeks sparked my interest in the influence of language on psychology and culture. The summer after my sophomore year, I interned for a Chinese-English bilingual magazine in New York City, for which I served as English-language copy editor and wrote several articles, including personal interviews with Yo-Yo Ma and Lang Lang.
On campus, I work in the Rare Books and Special Collections department of Firestone Library archiving hundreds of rare Chinese-language books, some of which date back to the 18th century. I organize Chinese language table in Wilcox dining hall every Wednesday evening and am a translator for Princeton Chinese Theater. I am also involved with the Aquinas Institute and serve as a lector at Catholic Mass on Sundays.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about majoring in East Asian Studies!
mhschulm@Princeton.EDU
mhschulm@Princeton.EDU
On stage with kung fu actors after a performance at the Hong Juchang (Red Theater) in Beijing
At Beihai Park in Beijing
Sasha Small, '14
When I first came to Princeton from London, I had no clue what I'd end up majoring in. During my first semester here, I decided on a whim to take second-year Chinese. At the time, it seemed like an insignificant decision. But after I spent my first summer in China under the Princeton in Beijing program, I knew that I wanted to continue my study of Chinese language and culture as my major. The East Asian Studies department appealed to me because it includes such a large scope of subject matter within many different academic disciplines. I am focusing on Chinese language and linguistics -- in addition to my major, I look forward to pursuing a certificate in Translation and Intercultural Communication. This past summer, I worked as an intern in Shanghai. I am involved in Advertise This, Service in Style, PACT, Princyclopedia, and tutoring at the public library.
I know what it's like to feel overwhelmed when choosing - or attempting to choose - classes and majors. I am very happy to help out with any questions or concerns you have, and look forward to hearing from you! asmall@Princeton.EDU
Margaret Wang, '14
I was immediately drawn to EAS through the language department. As a native Shanghainese speaker, taking Chinese opened a lot of doors to my family's history. After taking my first Chinese language course in Princeton, which immediately became my favorite course, I explored contemporary Chinese society and culture with several other courses in Princeton. Eventually, I traveled to China for the first time through Princeton in Beijing. Forced to speak only Chinese for two months, this program really initiated my interest in East Asian Studies. Moreover, I also taught in Sichuan as a volunteer project immediately afterwards, which brought my attention to the education system in China.
For my second summer, I did independent research through the Mellon Mays Foundation in Shanghai and Taiwan, furthering my interest in education policy. As a result, my Junior Paper revolved around the 1977 reinstatement of the national college entrance examination in China, intersecting governmentality and education.Through my degree in East Asian Studies, I hope to pursue academic through a joint JD and PhD program, especially in comparative education policy.
Teaching in Sichuan
Princeton in Beijing