University of Denver Fall 2023

“The thing I’m most looking forward to is the ability to turn what I’ve learned in the classroom into practical experience.”

Steven Gu from Nanjing, China

STEVEN GU Born and raised in Nanjing, China, senior Steven Gu began his international education in eighth grade. Drawn to the possibility of studying in the Josef Korbel School of International Studies while earning a degree from the Daniels College of Business at the same time, Gu transferred to DU after his freshman year at the University of Richmond. In just two years on campus, Gu has already distinguished himself—working as a special population coordinator with Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence, a 4D peer mentor and a research assistant in Korbel, where he’s contributed to and coauthored several peer-reviewed publications on global economic development. Working and studying across numerous departments on campus has had an influence on Gu’s experience of DU. “Because of DU’s size, it’s just big enough where you have different populations within different colleges,” he says. “I think it’s been very interesting to see it that way rather than have the whole campus as one big group. For me, it’s also been an interesting journey, in the sense that you meet a more diverse group of people.” For Gu, the diverse and interconnected nature of campus has provided unique opportunities to network.

From meeting and working with students to connecting with a trustee at the Founder’s Dinner, distinctly DU experiences have played a major role in his time here. “It was really amazing to have this unique, sort of more personal experience to just talk. That’s how I ended up with my major,” he says. But, Gu says, networking and coursework have not been the only driving forces behind his DU experience. Finding time to reflect on and explore his own interests, he says, has been crucial. “I have found it fascinating to explore these topics outside of the traditional realm of accounting or international relations and to be able to dive into it. That’s what I love to do during my free time, I dive into topics of our times,” Gu says. “Like the question of, ‘How do you embrace uncertainty?’” With less than a year left in his undergraduate studies, Gu says he is excited for what’s to come. “The thing I’m most looking forward to is the ability to turn what I’ve learned in the classroom into practical experience.” And beyond just turning knowledge into action, the prospect of diving out into the world and setting off on his own path is exciting. “I’m looking forward to this unique experience of being able to explore my own interests on my own feet,” he says.

26 | UNIVERSITY of DENVER MAGAZINE • FALL 2023