As Allie Jiang (W ‘25) sat in front of Huntsman Hall, dressed as though she was ready to hit Pottruck at a moment’s notice, three people walked by to say “hi.” With each person she saw, her face lit up—as did theirs. That’s the type of person Allie Jiang is. From the moment you meet her, Allie will greet you with a hug and a smile so bright that it quite literally radiates joy.
Like most of us, Allie came to Penn ready to do everything and anything. She became heavily involved in club sports—from water polo to spikeball. Along the way though, she learned it’s not about how much you do, but rather with how much love. Allie sat down with Street and talked through what it means to relax in the midst of all the chaos of Penn.
Name: Allie Jiang
Hometown: Needham, Mass.
Major: Finance and Retail
Activities: ILMUNC, Penn Appétit, Club Swim, Club Water Polo, Club Spike Ball
Were you always involved in sports in high school?
I grew up swimming competitively, and then during COVID-19, I kind of burned out. So I didn’t want to do anything more than club [level] in college. So first thing I did when I when I came to Penn was join Club Swim, which was a really good community for me to start off in. The people are incredible, and it just gave me a grounding [especially] at a school where a lot of people are constantly stressed about what they’re involved in, especially as a freshman. From there, I met some girls on the water polo team, and I decided to join that. So now we’ve been, like, swimming and doing water polo together for the past four years. [Now] with spike ball, that’s just a game that I love to play with my friends. So I decided to actually pursue it this year. Sports has [always] been an integral part of my upbringing, and I love how I’m now involved in club sports on campus.
On campus in general, do you feel like sports are about competition, or are they primarily social? How would you characterize the sports–club culture on campus?
It’s so interesting, because I feel like it varies per club sport. I feel like some club sports are super social. They’re such a tight knit community. Then there’s others that are more about the sport, like club soccer—I know their tryouts are really hard. But for something like club swimming, we don’t really have tryouts, and we really value the social component. What I liked about [club swim is] that it ranges from swimmers that don’t know how to swim to swimmers that are actually really competitive.
In general when it comes to balancing club sports, hanging out with your friends, and taking classes, what has been your recipe for success the past four years? What have you learned?
It’s crazy to think about my past four years, because I feel like when I was a freshman, I quite literally joined everything under the umbrella, and I was struggling to balance everything. I was like, “Okay, I need to stop this.” So sophomore year, I kind of dwindled down the activities I was in. So I focused on a lot of my club sports. I kind of stopped doing a lot of the clubs that I realized I actually didn’t learn a lot from. I value social connections a lot as an extroverted person, and I feel like a lot of the clubs I ended up quitting was because I didn’t really find that social connection. … In terms of balance I think I realized prioritizing things that meant more to me and quitting things that didn’t mean a lot to me was a really key part of that recipe.
What do you feel like you’ve learned by having friends that do all sorts of different things at Penn and doing a variety of things yourself that you might have not otherwise known about or done during college?
I feel like growing up in like a small suburb that was almost like a bubble, I would say a lot of my friends were the same, a lot of students in high school did the same thing. Going to Penn, I kind of realized [that] having friends from all different circles, whether that be clubs or classes, everyone brings a diverse perspective, and it’s really interesting. When I went to Madrid [for study abroad] I think that was the turning point for me where … I realized that people’s outlook on life is so different than how Penn students view it. [For example,] Madrid students and international students don’t view their career as the end–all be–all. They go on walks with their friends at 2 p.m., they drink Tinto de Verano at 4 p.m., they have siestas. People value having a slower pace of life.
Do you feel like you want to bring that way of life back with you for your senior year?
Oh, definitely. I have developed this mindset that I feel like I need to be less stressed. [I feel like] I need to make sure that when I’m a senior I’m making sure to slow down and not take everything [so quickly] like I usually do at Penn.
So what are you doing to relax your senior year now?
Honestly, I’ve been watching a lot of TV. We just got a TV, and I’ve been binging suits, which has been really fun. And I also have just been going on a lot of walks to Center City. I think that being in Philly, it’s a huge opportunity for Penn students to get into the city. I love getting sweet treats. That’s the number one thing I do for fun with my friends. So those have been things I’ve been trying to do to relax [as well as] swim and water polo. I find sports as a way for me to relax, honestly. So I’ve been doing a lot of, like, outside activities and swimming.
Any big things on your senior–year bucket list?
I’m still trying to figure out that list. I think I’m really excited for the spring semester, honestly. But I [also] just want to make sure [that] I actually know Philly before I leave it, because so many people go to Penn, and then they leave [without] even knowing a lot about Philadelphia. I definitely want to explore South Philly and West Philly more. Also [I just want to] make sure that I spend meaningful time with friends.
Lightning Round:
Favorite spot to eat near campus: Tyson’s Bees
Favorite floor of Pottruck: The turf field on the second floor.
Your song of the summer: Summertime Blues by Sammy Virji, Chris Lake, Nathan Nicholson
Favorite character in Suits, the TV show: Harvey Specter
There are two types of people at Penn… SABSers and non SABSers.
And you are? I would say SABSer.
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 any 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!
