UCLA GRADUATE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
  • Government
    • Important Documents >
      • Constitution & Codes
      • Org Charts
      • The GSA Report
      • GSA Statements
      • GSA Logos
    • Elected Officers >
      • Office of the President
      • Office of Internal Affairs
      • Office of External Affairs
      • Office of Academic Affairs
    • Directors
    • Forum
    • Academic Councils
    • Student Interest Board
    • Advisory Board
    • Committees & Initiatives >
      • GSA Initiatives
      • Campus Policy Committees
      • Chancellor Advisory Committees
      • Academic Senate Committees
    • Finance >
      • GSA Financials
      • Student Government Accounting
      • Requisition (REQ) Form
      • Discretionary Funds
    • Publications
  • Elections
  • Get Involved!
    • ELECTIONS!
    • Stay Informed!
    • Work with GSA!
    • Provide Feedback (Surveys)
  • Events
    • Graduate Events (All)
  • Resources
    • Turkey Food Box
    • Resources During COVID-19
    • GSA Hardship Fund
    • Jobs & Fellowships
    • GSRC - Graduate Student Resource Center
    • GWC - Graduate Writing Center
    • Graduate Student Resources
    • Contact Us
  • Link Page

GradLife Blog

Jeannie Chen – Connecting the Dots

6/19/2017

 
Picture
​Sometimes the answer to life doesn’t come straightforward. Nor is it for Jeannie Chen. Jeannie started her college at UCLA majoring in piano performance, later transferred to an English major at Cal State Northridge, and lately returned to UCLA for a Master in library information. 

Jeannie dreamed to be a professional piano performer when she started college. She went from concerts to concerts, practiced and competed to refine her skills, while constantly learning to cope with her growing perfectionism. It gradually became common for her to be immersed in her own music world all day, and at one point she decided that such isolated lifestyle was not the best match to her personality.

The decision to change major was a hard one, but Jeannie is glad that she was able to make up her mind, and picked up her love of reading since childhood. She came across her mentor at Northridge who, as a professor of English literature, guided her to go after her academic enthusiasm. From there she joined the English honor program that laid the foundation for her literature studies, travelled on conferences to communicate with scholars across the country, and on the side, connected her to her family history through Asian American literature.

Growing up as a Chinese American, Jeannie was exposed to the Chinese cultural heritage. The connections, however, became stronger as she specialized in archival studies at UCLA. Jeannie benefits from the courses and resources on Asian American studies provided by UCLA, and the effort of the library information department to diversify the program. She sees the impact that archival documents can have both on individuals and on the present society. “Now in my 20s, I start to think consciously about how the (Chinese American) history influenced my family and myself individually.” She started volunteering at Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, documenting and educating people on the Chinese American history.  “We are trying to preserve the memories, and making sure multiple stories can be told, not just one.”

While finding her cultural identity and contributing to the community, Jeannie constantly found her way back to her music background. She worked at Music & Media Department at the Oviatt Library at Northridge, and received a scholarship to study on jazz archives in the coming summer. Life never gives a hint of what is coming to Jeannie’s life, but she is prepared to keep exploring the world in different perspectives, and one day to connect all the dots.

    Archives

    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Stay Informed

Get Our Newsletter
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) Newsletter is sent weekly during the school year and shares important updates, resource spotlights, and upcoming events.
Follow us on Social Media


​For inquiries, please see our Contact Us page.

Join the GSRC Mailing list
The Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC) Newsletter is sent weekly during the school year and shares helpful tips, resources, and upcoming workshops from campus partners.
  • Government
    • Important Documents >
      • Constitution & Codes
      • Org Charts
      • The GSA Report
      • GSA Statements
      • GSA Logos
    • Elected Officers >
      • Office of the President
      • Office of Internal Affairs
      • Office of External Affairs
      • Office of Academic Affairs
    • Directors
    • Forum
    • Academic Councils
    • Student Interest Board
    • Advisory Board
    • Committees & Initiatives >
      • GSA Initiatives
      • Campus Policy Committees
      • Chancellor Advisory Committees
      • Academic Senate Committees
    • Finance >
      • GSA Financials
      • Student Government Accounting
      • Requisition (REQ) Form
      • Discretionary Funds
    • Publications
  • Elections
  • Get Involved!
    • ELECTIONS!
    • Stay Informed!
    • Work with GSA!
    • Provide Feedback (Surveys)
  • Events
    • Graduate Events (All)
  • Resources
    • Turkey Food Box
    • Resources During COVID-19
    • GSA Hardship Fund
    • Jobs & Fellowships
    • GSRC - Graduate Student Resource Center
    • GWC - Graduate Writing Center
    • Graduate Student Resources
    • Contact Us
  • Link Page