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All would be impossible without W&L — and the level of trust we place in each other here. - Yuchen Qian ’25

As Yuchen Qian ’25 prepares to graduate with degrees in politics and philosophy and a minor in German, he reflects on the many facets that shaped his Washington and Lee University experience and on his less-than-linear path to get here. Law school is his next step, and Qian is excited to explore a variety of legal practice areas and career options. “I leave no regrets behind in what I chose to pursue. I followed where my interests and my heart took me,” he said. “All would be impossible without W&L — and the level of trust we place in each other here — in the first place.”

Qian’s journey to W&L is unique. A native of Shanghai, he attended high school in Germany — Robert Bosch College — one of the Davis United World College Scholars Program’s 18 partner schools. These institutions help build cross-cultural communication and understanding, with students hailing from over 160 different countries. Students are then recruited to attend colleges in the United States to further expand global education. Washington and Lee participates in the program, and when W&L’s admissions team visited, Qian secured a meeting to learn about the university. He was intrigued by the Honor System and Mock Convention in particular. “I learned about the Johnson Scholarship, and that influenced my decision to apply. I am truly grateful that I was selected for this great program,” Qian said. However, before his final high school exams were administered, COVID-19 struck, and the world locked down.

Exams were canceled, and students were sent home; however, many could not get a flight out if they did not live in Europe. The pandemic launched at Qian a string of tough choices, and he faced them all with resilient grace. With no way home and also no way to get to Lexington, Qian could either begin his undergraduate education at St. Andrews University in Scotland or request a gap year, with a chance to go home and spend time with his family.

He began a journey of self-examination that he has nurtured over the last four years and chose to visit family and enjoy the full, uninterrupted W&L experience. While he waited to go home, Qian offered to help at his high school by tutoring first-year students. He came to Lexington in summer 2021 after spending cherished time with his family.

Qian invested himself entirely into W&L. He built connections with fellow Johnson Scholars and international students. A pianist since the age of five, he continued studying and performing music with Assistant Professor of Music Akiko Konishi and performed during the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign launch event last October. Qian became a community assistant (CA) in residence life, later serving as head, and then senior, CA.

“My residence life experience has been fundamentally influential,” he said. “I became part of a cohort of very capable individuals who have a passion for their community and want to create a meaningful experience for their residents.”

Qian served as president of club badminton for three years, helping to organize regional tournaments. He served as president of the Student Association for International Learning (SAIL) during his junior year and worked in the Office of University Development all four years of his W&L experience.

“It has been a treasure to be incorporated into such a welcoming and friendly work environment, and as I think about my future workplace, this has set a high standard,” he said.

While he possessed an early interest in politics and German, his passion for philosophy was born at W&L. Qian took a class with DeLaney Postdoctoral Fellow Fernando Zapata. “It was the first time a professor had invited me to look into myself — at my motivations and reasons,” he said. Four years later, Qian has gained confidence and a stronger sense of self. “I have become more courageous in being open to an ongoing conversation with myself and to reconciling myself to my own vulnerabilities and weaknesses,” he said. “I have more confidence in my passions, and I know that if I set my heart to it and stay determined, I will succeed.”