UMass Magazine Online

Spring 2004

Departments

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The Wildest Place in Boston

Manhattan's Hottest Property

Setting the Record Straight

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Leading Lady

–Jennifer Arsenault '99G




	Alumni Association honors Tammy Man Wai Wong ’04. (photo by Ben Barnhart)

HOW DO YOU HONOR A graduating senior who maintains impressive grades, is involved in a variety of campus organizations and volunteers her time to tutor fellow students? The answer is simple. You make her the recipient of the Alumni Association Senior Leadership Award.

Born in Hong Kong, Tammy Man Wai Wong moved to Framingham with her parents and younger sister in 1989. She became a citizen of the United States in 1995. The first in her family to attend college, she came to UMass Amherst on a Tomorrow’s Teacher Scholarship, which paid for tuition and fees. The Scholarship was contingent on Tammy attending a public institution within the Commonwealth. She chose UMass Amherst because of its reputation and the beauty of the campus. On her first visit, she took one look at the campus pond, turned to her mom and said, “This is the school I am going to.”

This English and psychology major with a minor in secondary education had two goals when she arrived at the university. The first was to succeed academically, which she has done, maintaining an impressive grade point average. She says that she enjoys classes that challenge her to look beyond the surface of the subject. Two of her favorite subjects were Asian-American history and Victorian novels.

Her second goal was to get involved with the campus community. And how: she’s a resident assistant in Knowlton Residence Hall, the outgoing secretary of the Golden Key International Honor Society, a member of the English department’s Student Advisory Board and an English as a Second Language tutor for the United Asia Learning Center. Tammy says being involved has helped her studies because it called for her to manage her time wisely. “I have had a richer experience at UMass Amherst because I have taken advantage of great resources here,” she says. “I never felt lost. I have met wonderful people and made contacts that will help me when I graduate.”

Tammy was honored and humbled when she learned the Alumni Association had chosen her as a Senior Leadership Award recipient. “All the work I have done academically and as a campus leader is being recognized by the university. I am being acknowledged for my leadership potential,” said Tammy.

After graduation, Tammy will continue her academic pursuits in graduate school, where she plans on studying educational teaching and curriculum. She promises to stay connected with UMass Amherst as a member of the alumni association. She has already taken the first step, by making a generous pledge to the Senior Campaign. “I had such a good experience at UMass Amherst and I have made many connections here,” she says with a smile. “If I were to graduate and never come back, it would be like losing a part of myself.”

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