Miao Li

Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School

“To find myself with courage.”

Hometown: Nanyang, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have shaved all my hair recently for a new start from zero.

Undergraduate School and Major: Undergraduate: Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Electronic Information Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:  Shenzhen Crecer Trading Co., Ltd, Founder

What has been your favorite part of St. Louis so far? What makes St. Louis such a great place to earn an MBA? My favorite part of St. Louis is that we can get everywhere within 15 minutes, which makes everyone close to each other, whether it is for life, networking or working.

You completed your global immersion earlier this year. What was the best part of the immersion experience for you? What was the biggest takeaway you gained? The best part of global immersion was that we went to four different countries to learn how to apply current business in terms of local culture and situations. It enhanced my global savvy and deepened my understanding of the cultural impact on cross-border business. I’ve also developed the global fluency and entrepreneurial mindset necessary to be a leader who will contribute to society.

Aside from your immersion and classmates, what was the key part of WashU Olin’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I am so appreciative that I’ve received a full scholarship for Olin’s MBA program, which helps me a lot with financial pressure. It allows me to focus on what I want to learn and what I want to do.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at WashU Olin? There are so many alumni who come to school for recruiting, coffee chats, experience sharing, or funding for entrepreneurs. These are good opportunities for us to network, learn from people and get help for our future careers.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During my previous work, the team I led achieved around 7 million in annual sales with the highest margin. What’s more, my yearly sales were around 2.5 million within two years after working in that company.

Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far: I’ve developed a stronger perspective to analyze and provide suggestions to a company through the different courses I’ve taken during the semester of the MBA program.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? Poor Charlie’s Almanack is the book that I want to recommend. It inspired me to see the common sense of things, study different subjects, and gain knowledge to solve problems from different aspects.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into WashU Olin’s MBA program? Find yourself and focus on what you want to do. Be courageous, be passionate, be yourself. WashU Olin is such an excellent community to help you with your future business career.

DON’T MISS: MEET WASHINGTON OLIN’S MBA CLASS OF 2024