Momentum - The Magazine for Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Vol. 3 No. 1 Spring 2018 | Page 20

instead of only worrying about GPAs. So I
spent a lot of time on student activities that I
was passionate about.”
One of the initiatives Tian launched at
Tsinghua was starting a volunteer teaching
program where college students went to
nearby elementary schools in poor communi-
ties every week to inspire the children’s thirst
for knowledge and encourage them to achieve
their potential.
“I’m very proud of that program,” she said.
“After more than ten years the program is still
running.”
Because of her involvement in outside ac-
tivities, Tian said she learned to speak to large
groups, sometimes 1,000 or more, and that
has helped her as she continues her career.
“I’m not afraid of presentations now,” she
said. “Whenever I get in front of people and
start talking, I’m not nervous because of the
activities outside of engineering I did in my
undergraduate.”
MOMENTUM
SPRING 2018
The calm public speaker, though, isn’t with-
out her miscues, having once made it a point
to seek out the guest speaker at an event, only
to find out the person wasn’t the speaker at all.
“I approached a woman who I thought was
the speaker and started talking to her and it
became clear that we both realized she wasn’t
who I thought she was,” Tian explained.
“That’s how I met Dr. Sally Morton [Dean
of the College of Science at Virginia Tech].
“Now we become good friends. I cannot agree
more with her that family matters most and I
was very impressed with her positive energy,
every time I meet her she is full of positive
energy. It’s very inspiring and encouraging.”
For young women who are considering
an education and/or career in engineering,
Tian offers two pieces of advice; one she has
learned on her own with her two lovely sons,
and one she learned from her parents. “No
matter what your profession, family is always
the most important in life; and girls can
achieve what boys can, if not more.”
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