Humans of Haas: Alec Li
Written by Tia Chen-Wong.
When did you know that you wanted to be a part of Haas?
I’m a transfer student, and I wanted to be a part of Haas coming out of high school. Although I was not admitted into Berkeley at the time, I was motivated to become a part of this community. When I was attending community college and researching which schools to transfer into, the four defining principles on the Haas website really grabbed my attention. It was something I had never seen before on an undergraduate website, and I thought it was really special and one of a kind. Once I read them, I saw how the four defining principles were reflected in my own life, passions, and motivations to accomplish different things. At that point, I knew Haas was the school for me.
How did you feel when you got in?
I actually livestreamed my acceptance! Berkeley was the last one to be released, and when I saw the confetti rain down on the screen, I just couldn’t believe it. I immediately felt that there was so much potential in my future, and I was excited to see what kind of impact I could make. I had some fears coming to such a big public school, but as a transfer student, I was highly motivated to get as much done as possible during my 2 years here.
How did some of the resources at Haas shape your path?
I came right when Envision Haas, our transfer outreach program, began. After going to some events like the new transfer welcome, I felt like the program was an extremely important resource. During my first year here, I helped grow the program along with students in the class above me (2019). We reached out to hundreds of community transfer students in California and neighboring states to come tour the campus and listen to what Haas has to offer. Through that, I met a variety of different Haas students as well, which has been a great experience.
Also as a part of HBSA, I feel that it’s my duty to give back to the resources I’ve utilized and leave them better than I found it. That’s why I’m leading the Student Affairs committee, to enrich the experience of Haas applicants, Haas students, Haas alumni, and everyone in the business community here at Berkeley.
What motivational music do you listen to before interviews / anything stressful?
I’m actually a DJ–I’ve done gigs at high school dances, corporate events, and even Haas events like this year’s Winter Formal! So music is a huge part of my life. If I had to pick one genre to hype me up in general it would be EDM, but I love all genres of music. If you ever need a good pump up song, I highly recommend that you listen to “GUD VIBRATIONS” by NGHTMRE and SLANDER! I’m also working to bring some big DJ’s to campus this semester, so stay posted for that!
