We Are Wellington | Alumni Voices: Daniel Ang

In what ways has your Wellington education prepared you for success at university?

Wellington and IB have definitely prepared me academically for success at university. University academics is more self-driven than Senior School, and I do think IB and the sixth form life at Wellington provide a great transition for this. Of course, Wellington also provided me with many opportunities to explore myself in leadership and my personal interests, which is what I am keen to develop more at university.

Why did you choose to enrol at NYU?

I fell in love with NYU the first time I visited New York four years ago. I love the idea of a campus without walls and how New York City is basically my campus. It is also one of the most diverse universities globally, which is what I value the most in a university. Living in Shanghai for the past 11 years, I have grown accustomed to city life, which is why I also want to explore city life in the Big Apple. NYU also has a quite strong career focus in its curriculums, which will prepare me for the post-university life. It also has three campuses globally and a lot of study-abroad sites, which fulfils my dream of studying and travelling at the same time.

What made you want to study Media, Culture and Communication?

I realised that media has become an essential part not only of our life, but also in businesses and politics nowadays. Sometimes we do not even realise how media is changing our minds and affecting daily life. Back at Wellington, I also had the opportunity to touch on some topics related to culture and media in class and I took part in media-related CCAs. This reassured my passion in media and communication studies, and I decided it is what I want to pursue at university. After exploring different media and communications majors at different schools, I eventually chose Media, Culture and Communication at NYU because it fulfils most of what I want to study. It is also ranked 7 worldwide for media studies programmes. Also, it is in New York!  

Because of the recent outbreak, you opted to study at NYU's Shanghai campus for your first year. Was this a positive experience for you?

Yes! I was so glad that I chose NYU and very grateful for the opportunity that NYU has provided. NYU actually rented several floors at a WeWork in Lujiazui to accommodate NYU New York and Abu Dhabi students. A lot of in-person classes were offered, and we could also choose other online courses at other NYU global sites. Being able to attend in-person classes and meet with new friends in college actually gave me a sense of being a university student. And the experience was definitely better than having Zoom classes alone at midnight! However, I decided to come back to the New York campus this fall, and I am very excited about the life I live here.

This past summer, you also interned at Trout & Partners. What valuable lessons have you learned from this experience? How has it influenced your career path?

I was a consulting intern and Trout & Partners the summer after high school because I have always been interested in the consulting industry, and it turns out it was much different than I expected. My colleagues at Trout & Partners were super friendly and they were very willing to teach me. I had a close look at how consulting works as well as getting to know a lot of different industries that I was not familiar with at all. Overall, it was an amazing experience!  

More recently, I actually worked as a buying intern at Urban Outfitters China while I was at NYU Shanghai this past summer. I actually got this job through my good friend and fellow Old Wellingtonian Jessica Lee. The team was super nice, and I finally got to know more about the inner workings of the fashion industry. I learned a lot from both internships, and I think I will explore other career paths throughout my next three years in university before deciding what career path I want to take in the future.

What do you like most about NYU's New York campus?

The New York campus is definitely a new, exciting and different experience compared to the Shanghai campus. When you walk around Washington Square Park, or even New York City, you see NYU flags everywhere. It really creates a sense of belonging. The variety of classes, clubs and events allows you to explore whatever you want and really get into something. For example, I joined the Luxury and Retail Association as well as Consult Your Community (a pro bono consulting club) my first month here. I am quite passionate about both. I am really excited and keen to explore more about university life here.

In what ways does the NYU experience differ from the Wellington experience?

University life is much more self-driven than Senior School life. There are no teachers reminding you of deadlines. Therefore, you have to be organised and plan out your schedule yourself. NYU is also quite a big school with thousands of students. This is quite different from Wellington, where I only had 27 other classmates in my year. Although you might not feel close connections with your friends in Wellington, you do get to meet and know a lot of people from completely different cultures and backgrounds.

What three pieces of advice would you like to offer current Wellingtonians?

Share with us your fondest memory of your time at Wellington.

It would definitely be the times that I spent in the common room with my fellow friends and my time as Deputy Head of College. The Sixth Form common room intertwines all of my happy and sad memories together. I still remember hiding behind the desks anxiously while waiting for my ED results; finishing up essays last minute before class starts; watching Youtube videos on the sofa with friends; and snacking with my friends during break times. My time working as Deputy Head of College was busy but fulfilling at the same time. Although I had to balance between academic and other projects, I was very passionate about what I was doing and felt a great sense of achievement when I succeeded in these projects.