Hoatson Kwan

Name:  Hoatson Kwan

College: Ten

Department: Economics 

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? Robert J. Shepherd Economics Accounting Path Scholarship

What year do you expect to graduate? Spring 2022

Where do you call home? I grew up in Daly City, California but have transferred 4 times between districts during K-12. Thus, I never grew up associating home with where I grew up or where I went to school as these moments in my life had always been temporary and ever changing. From my experience, home is not bounded by one’s community; but rather, encompassed one’s family. Wherever one chooses to settle is irrelevant; home should a sanctuary where one should feel safe and loved, and for me, that is me surrounded by kin.

What is your field of focus? At UCSC, my field of focus is business management economics with an emphasis on accounting.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz?  I hope to obtain a stable job in which I can provide for my family. As a son to immigrant parents, I am indebted to my parents for bestowing a life to me that they never had. I am gracious for the innumerable sacrifices they have made to create a foundation for my prosperous future, and it’s the least I can do is to secure that for them as well.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? My most fond moment thus far at UCSC is participating in teaching practicum for Econ 10A. I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Yu Hsiang “Lawrence” Chen for providing me with this opportunity. I would never have imagined being recruited as TP during my second quarter here as a freshman. Although it was intimidating to stand amongst older peers, I have gained greater confidence in my academic abilities because of it.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz?  Utilize the resources that are available to you, which includes communicating with TAs and professors. As distant as you may feel from the educators at a college compared to high school, most of them a genuinely there because they are passionate at what they do and there for the benefit of the students

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? This scholarship will help alleviate the financial hardship on my parents. As a dependent, I dread the feeling of having my parents bare all the expenses of my college expenses—having this scholarship means returning some financial freedom that they deserve.