There is no other way to describe Kiln Chen (W '24) than “go go go.” She serves as an inspiration to all, tirelessly working to give back to her community and always finding ways to help anyone in need. Through her impressive involvement at clubs at Penn, Kiln has meshed her passions, academic pursuits, Asian American identity, and professional aspirations to work towards fostering a community of happy, confident, and flourishing students.
Name: Kiln Chen
Hometown: Originally from New York City Chinatown. My family is originally from China, and my parents moved to America in the mid–1990s.
Major: Double concentration in marketing and operations management and business analytics.
Activities: Wharton Cohorts, Wharton Wellness, Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative (APALI), STEP Wharton
What would you first think to share about yourself when asked, "Tell me about yourself"?
I am a first–generation, low–income student who is the daughter of immigrants. I have a younger sister, and I consider myself a third parent to her. Family and culture have always been very important to me and have always been key aspects of my identity, especially since I grew up in Chinatown. I spoke Mandarin growing up and learned English simultaneously. Community has always been a very big part of my identity. For example, I always try to support local vendors. My cousin owns a restaurant in Philadelphia, so I have always been very supportive of restaurant entrepreneurship and interested in that space.
Here at Penn, I also really try to focus on community and am therefore involved in a lot of community–based organizations and clubs. First, I am involved in Wharton Cohorts, which helps first–year and transfer students transition into Wharton and also helps them to better understand the professional side of Wharton.
I am also a board member of Wharton Wellness, and I used to be the co–chair of the club. This club focuses on supporting the physical and mental wellness of Wharton students. This is a very important community that I joined my sophomore year. COVID was a hard time for me, and as I came to Penn post–pandemic, I looked for a community that would help support my well–being. While mental health has been something on my radar since high school, after COVID, as I came to campus for the first time, I really sought a strong community in this area. I found it in Wharton Wellness, and the board supported me and taught me how to support other students. I continue to serve as a mentor in this space because Wharton can be very toxic at times. Right away, you are expected to know so much about the culture of the school and how to apply to jobs and clubs. I want to help students with the process and shed light on the fact that it is okay to not know everything right away and to show students that there will always be a community for them to turn to.
Finally, I am a learning assistant at Career Readiness at Wharton. This is a three–session program for around 60 first–year students that helps prepare them for career readiness. The meetings involve exploring the various fields, working on key skills such as resume building and behavioral interviewing, and finally a mock interview with alumni from Wharton. Again, I try to support my community wherever I can; without the support of upperclassmen, I would have been so lost, so I always try to pay it forward.
Can you tell me a little bit about some of the other clubs you are involved in at Penn?
I am also a co–facilitator for Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative (APALI). This organization began in the fall of 2001 as an initiative of the Pan–Asian American Community House. This is a semester–long program that runs from the fall to spring. The goal of this program is to bring together a cohort of diverse Asian backgrounds and talk about issues relating to the Asian American diaspora, immigration, and colonization. We discuss how our identities fit into these topics. In addition, we focus on intersectionality with gender and sex, intergenerational drama, our mental health, and ways to fight boundaries in the workplace. This club aims to bring students together and use our identities to empower ourselves rather than act as a hindrance. I did this program as a freshman, and I continue to remain engaged in my role as a senior facilitator. I want to give back to my community and share the guidance I received with other students.
What is your favorite extracurricular activity that you are a part of?
If I had to pick one, I would say that my favorite is Wharton Wellness. I found my community soon after joining and have continued to rely on these people, including many alumni. Serving as co–chair my junior year was certainly a lot of work, but it was well worth it. On board, I aimed to increase board dynamics and collaboration with other Wharton division–sponsored organizations. I also focused on promoting change through understanding some of the systematic and cultural challenges.
Additionally, being around these people has significantly increased my personal wellness. I remember when I first started going to meetings, I would come in and announce that I had gone to sleep at 5 a.m. They did not validate this and pretend that the behavior was normal—instead, they forced me to learn how to push myself and prioritize my well–being. I have therefore tried to do this for others as well.
We have a small board with many different initiatives. For example, one of the projects we run is called “Passion Projects,” which is one that I am running this year. Essentially, we have up to $300 worth of funding for students to explore their passions and develop different projects. Watching these students has also helped me become more creative and has given me the motivation to pursue my own passion project.
How did you get involved in these clubs?
For Wharton Cohorts, all Wharton freshmen are placed into a cohort, so I first became a first–year representative in my cohort. I loved my experience amongst my cohort leaders, and I thought that we should try to give that experience to students afterwards as well. For Wharton Wellness, my friend from class was a co–chair and encouraged me to apply. Lastly, for APALI, I was nominated to apply for the program.
I know you're involved in a lot of Asian American spaces; can you tell me a little more about that?
I grew up in Chinatown in New York City and was surrounded by many Fujianese and Cantonese people.
Penn was a stark contrast than what I was used to. I grew up mostly surrounded by Chinese Americans and a lot of Asian Americans. I never had to hide my identity or culture and was always exposed to diversity and unique cultures. But when I came to Penn, I remember one of my friends telling me not to make being Asian my entire personality.
I simply chose to ignore that. I realized that being Asian American, specifically Chinese American, is a huge part of who I am, and I am very proud of that. I wanted to be a part of organizations that highlighted that part of my identity.
What are some challenges you’ve faced at Penn?
There are a few challenges that I have faced so far at Penn. First, I have never really been surrounded by this many affluent and wealthy people, and at first, this was very hard for me. It wasn’t always apparent at first, but this problem usually came to a head when I would go out with someone who did not mind spending money on nice dinners or nights out. I am very proud of my FGLI identity, but I do not think people look at me and see that I am a part of that community. I have had friends tell me that they thought I was wealthier at first because I do not go around publicizing that I am a part of FGLI. The wealth aspect at Penn has certainly been something with which I have struggled.
Also, as soon as I came to Wharton, it felt like everyone around me was going into banking or consulting. All of the clubs were focused on finance and consulting. I soon realized that I did not want to follow any of these paths, but that meant being non–traditional and pushing myself. I now have a job for next year at L'Oréal in their finance management training program. At first, I was very insecure about wanting to work in the consumer product and retail market when no one else was doing this. I am now more confident in myself and want to serve as a model for those who don’t want to take the more “typical” route. A Wharton and Penn degree can get you so far, but it's up to you to build a life where you are happy. Money is not everything.
You’re quite a busy person. What do you enjoy doing for fun, to destress?
I have a lot of trouble staying still, and I am quite a fidgety person. I try to always remain active. I love to play basketball, go for long walks, listen to music, and watch different sitcoms. I also try to destress in more artistic ways, such as paint by numbers, craft nights with friends, painting postcards of places I have traveled, and making jewelry.
What is your favorite class so far at Penn?
I loved MKTG 277, which is also known as "Marketing Strategy." It was a fascinating class with many cool speakers, such as the North American CEO of Ferragamo. The former Wharton dean taught it, which was really special. I also enjoyed the Wharton International course I took as we went to Seoul and learned about business in a completely different context.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
In ten years, I hope to not be in the corporate space. Maybe I will have my own startup that is consumer–focused, and I will be exploring different areas in the consumer field. I also hope to be serving as a mentor still. I want to keep learning and hopefully travel more. I did not really start traveling until college, but I really love it and love learning about new places and cultures.
My dad has always worked in a sushi restaurant and has been the breadwinner in my family. Because of this, I did not get to see him as much as I would have hoped. I hope to be able to help him retire soon and create some sort of restaurant alongside him in Chinatown. Many ethnic enclaves are dying out, and their original purposes have become obsolete; they once served as a place for immigrants to have a home, and now they are just tourist attractions. I want to work more with supporting these ethnic enclaves. I always want to be someone who gives back to my community.
Lightning round:
Soundtrack to your life: "End of Beginning" by Djo
Favorite thing to do out in Philly: Happy hour in Center City
If you could travel anywhere, where would it be? Costa Rica
Favorite food: Soup noodles
Favorite book: The Namesake
There are two types of people at Penn: The people who wake up at 5 a.m. to run half marathons and those who are up at 5 a.m. because they have not gone to sleep.
And you are... The second one
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Do you know that one senior who brings a smile to everyone's face or always has the craaaaziest stories? It's time to give them the recognition they deserve. Ego of the Week seeks to showcase seniors, not for their grades or other fake academic construct, but for who they are as a person and the joy they bring to the people around them! Nominate your favorite Penn Seniors for Ego of the Week!
