Yingyao Wu

When Yingyao Wu arrived on FIU’s campus as a transfer student, his advisor, Genesis Dieguez, had a very difficult time communicating with him. Yingyao says his command of the English language at that time was “pretty bad.”

But Yingyao was starting classes and he was determined to do what it takes to not only conquer the English language but also to excel in academics and earn his Bachelor of Business Administration degree. This hard-working student from Canton, China, would record the classes he attended and play back the recordings again and again until he understood everything. He would read textbooks two or three times to understand the material.

Yingyao wasn’t afraid to ask questions of his professors and to keep using his English to communicate with his new friends at FIU. With his family far away, Yingyao faced these challenges alone yet he achieved success after success, including earning an A in calculus and other tough courses.

Yingyao’s advisor, who has seen his incredible progress, says her last advising session with him was easy and enjoyable as they talked away about many subjects. Yingyao credits her for being a valuable mentor.

He plans to work for a year then return to FIU to earn his Master of Science in International Real Estate, to enter a field where communication is very important.