Hometown: Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Undergraduate: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Major: Political Science
From China to the USA, Xiyi “Jackie” Fu booked her flight, become a U.S. citizen and secured on-campus housing. It’s safe to say she’s all pumped up for Pacific McGeorge.
Fu’s future career in law first began when she arrived in the United States from China with her parents at age fourteen. But it was during her freshman year at the University of Michigan that her commitment to law really gelled when she helped negotiate the purchase of her parents’ house. The process of translating, bargaining and working out a contract with the family’s attorney started her thinking that perhaps law could be the right path for her talents
Many immigrants, she noticed, “find the concept of law vague at best.” She surmised that as an attorney she could help other first time home buyers – like her parents – by providing helpful legal consultation and solutions to many real estate problems. As an immigrant herself, she has personally been through the process and deeply understands the importance of legal status to those who apply for jobs or schools.
Yet real estate law isn’t the only career path interesting this determined immigrant – she is also fascinated by business law. Given the increasing globalization, recent economic boom in Asia (especially China), and her fluency in Chinese and Japanese, she would welcome the opportunity to work for a multinational corporation, or possibly become an international lawyer.
Incidentally, it was her second passion – international law – that led her to Pacific McGeorge. “The international law program and global business and development program were eye catching to me,” she says, adding, “I think it would be a unique opportunity for me to study and integrate both fields and to stay away from Michigan snow!”
As to the future, Jackie hopes to be busy working as in-house counsel for a large corporation or law firm. With her ability to seamlessly transition through cultures and negotiate the special needs within them, Jackie’s skills will no doubt prove very useful.