Welcome back to another addition of Stern Singles! As the weather warms up, and love fills the air, we are excited to introduce our most eligible bachelor of the month – Alex Shih!
Testimonials
“Alex is amazing because when he goes to a Sternie’s birthday party, he is constantly busy making sure that the birthday person is having the time of his/her lives. That means asking the restaurant ahead of time if he can bring a cake, or going to Party City beforehand to buy whole balloons and party favors, or weaving through a big rowdy crowd to get to the waiter to ask how/when the birthday person can get their bottle and birthday sign.”
- If you didn’t have a birthday sign and a bottle, was it really a birthday party?
“When we went to Vietnam for our Spring Break Trek, he packed 50 solo cups in his luggage in case we found a time/place to play beer pong/rage cage. That’s thoughtful on a whole other level.”
- Ladies, this man is prepared!
“Alex brings people together, whether it’s through boba tea runs between class or deep hearted conversations at 3am. He’s one of the most caring, selfless and genuine people I’ve ever met and I know without a doubt, my stern experience would not be the same without him. Love you Alex!”
- Boba?! Say no more.
“Alex puts immeasurable effort in bringing everyone closer together through conversations and social events he plans out from start to finish. He is always optimistic and helps his friends problem-solve when they face personal challenges.”
- Seriously, your parents are going to love him.
Alex is such an amazing person!! He works hard, strives to make everyone included, but more importantly – he cares so much about his friends and family! Anyone who knows him is lucky 🙂
- Agreed – we sure are lucky to have this opportunity to learn more about him.
Hey Alex! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. We’re excited to learn more about you. Why don’t you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself.
Sure. I’m Alex Shih and I’m from Ridgefield, Connecticut – it’s pretty close to NYC so this city has always been a special place for me. I’m passionate about my identity as an Asian American (Taiwanese American), and I love tennis and the NBA.
So what brought you to Stern and what excited you most about coming here?
Everything that they tell you, but mainly the people. I remember when I was choosing between a couple of business schools, an alumnus I knew took me out to a big Stern gathering. I felt so welcomed and at home, like, these are my people. I formally enrolled a couple days later.
One thing that really excited me was the size of our class. It’s the perfect size for being able to form strong ties, weak ties, and ties that are in between – all of which are valuable (in my opinion).
Now that you’re here, what’s been your favorite part about the program?
On our first day of orientation, one of the professors who came to speak encouraged us to try and develop deep relationships with our classmates – relationships that go beyond recruiting, homework, and surface socializing. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know many of my classmates on this level, and it’s one of my favorite parts of the business school experience.
Because Stern loves self-assessments, what’s your Myers Briggs personality type?
Whenever I take Myers Briggs, I always score as an extrovert – I feel so lucky to be at a school and in a city where I have the opportunity to meet new people, do fun things that many would call basic, and always have the option of getting a slice of pizza at 3 AM. I also like to play tennis, go karaoke, and have wholesome nights out that end in either Koreatown or at Great New York Noodletown.
Speaking of wholesome nights out…what’s your favorite NYC bar?
You can often find me somewhere in the vicinity of 32nd and Broadway, aka Koreatown.
Ah K-town! You mentioned before you love karaoke. Tell me what’s your favorite mid-90’s/early 2000s music act?
English music: Backstreet Boys, Mandarin music: Jay Chou
I have a soft spot for BSB as well. I’ve heard you’ve got some excellent moves. What’s your favorite song to dance to?
Anything on my LIT YAAAAS playlist, which is mainly top 40 from the past ten years.
Um, that playlist title is amazing. You’ll have to show it to me sometime. How do you drink your coffee?
I usually order bubble tea, half sugar, normal ice, sometimes with grass jelly.
I can clearly tell you’ve loved your time at Stern and from your testimonials people love you as well. What will you miss the most after graduating from Stern?
What I’ll miss the most after graduating: Spontaneously running into my friends in the halls or in the lobby, and being able to get a meal completely unplanned.
If you would like to nominate a classmate for future features of the Stern Spotlight, please email the Oppy staff at [email protected].
