International Leader
Jiaxin “Jashin” Lin on bridging cultural gaps
In China, effusive praise is frequently met with a shake of the head, nali, nali, it’s nothing. Jiaxin "Jashin" Lin, who was raised in China and attended high school in Hawaii, thinks modesty puts her compatriots at a disadvantage in the American classroom—and in its job market. “Americans are very good at selling themselves versus Asian students,” she says. “We’re really shy.” With 25 percent of BU undergraduates coming from overseas—and the largest proportion of them from China—it’s not an insignificant problem, and one Lin (BSBA’16) wants to solve.
“We have a lot of international students, but few international leaders,” says Lin, who was a resident assistant her junior year, just one of five international students to assume the role (BU has 285 RAs). “I see a discrepancy there and would love to be the change and inspire other international students to take on leadership roles.”
Lin is the founder of Project X, an online workshop that’s dedicated to educating and inspiring overseas students. She says they don’t just battle cultural gaps, but practical problems, including end dates on their visas and a lack of established professional networks, that limit internship experiences and leave little incentive to become community fixtures. During the workshop, Lin covers topics such as cold calling prospective mentors and building a life beyond class.
At BU, Lin has also tried to be an example—she’s interned at Goldman Sachs, studied in London, and formed the BU wing of the American Enterprise Institute. Lin says she came to the United States and BU “shy in class, afraid to speak up,” but others saw potential and pushed her to overcome her fears. She hopes her own efforts are the start of a positive cycle. “Before I came to the States, I didn’t know I could do so much, didn’t know I could be who I am today.”
