Wang, Chris
Chris Wang
BHP Forty Acres Scholarship
Forty Acres Scholars Class of 2023
Hometown
Houston, TX
High School
Carnegie Vanguard High School

From a young age, I would go out and sell my products. Whether it was self-decorated cookies, candy-filled Easter eggs, or handmade bookmarks, to my neighbors, people passing by, or customers outside my local bookstore, respectively, every successful sale brought rushes of adrenaline and energy to sell the next pitch and fueled my passion for business. My time at UT and as a Forty Acres Scholar has been filled with developing this interest and pursuing so many others.

After the pandemic hit, I continued feeding my entrepreneurial spirit by starting a digital marketing company helping local small businesses and producing a podcast sharing the experiences of various UT alumni, including founders of successful businesses and the CFO of Zoom. I’ve helped bring in tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorships for various student organizations, and I’ve represented UT at various national and international commercial real estate case competitions. Artistically, I’ve continued my passions for music by starting the Rec Inc. band with friends (please find us on Soundcloud) and composing piano pieces, and I’m pursuing my latest interest in film and entertainment by acting in commercials and UT’s first student-run film with a fully Mandarin script and all-Asian cast.

As an avid traveler, the enrichment stipend has enabled me to solo travel and study Spanish in Guatemala, visit the Middle East for the first time exploring Dubai and Abu Dhabi, hear Mindy Kaling speak in the flesh at a real estate conference in Beverly Hills, and weekend travel all over Spain and Europe during my study abroad semester in Madrid. These experiences have expanded my world view and taught me so many new things, but they have also deepened my appreciation for all I have back home and the opportunities at UT, many of which made these diverse experiences possible.

After graduating, I am excited to move to Los Angeles to start my career in management consulting with the ultimate goal of founding an impact-based startup. I am incredibly grateful for the Forty Acres Scholars Program and my time at UT, and I will continue to show off my Texas spirit in California and wherever my travels take me. Hook ‘em!

Majors
Canfield Business Honors; Computer Science Honors

Honors Program 
Texas Honors Computer Science and Business (Texas CSB)

Other Academic Interests
Business Spanish Certificate

Extracurricular Activities
Honors Business Association (past Corporate VP); Computer Science and Business Association (past Vice President of Corporate Relations); Business, Unraveled Podcast Founder and Production Director; Texas Table Tennis; Texas Real Estate Center; UBS Sophomore Summer Investment Banking Analyst; Boston Consulting Group Summer Associate, Fast Trail Media Founder/CEO

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program (FASP)?
In addition to the obvious financial aspect of the program, it was even more so the opportunities and community of the program that drew me in. The programmed speakers, events, company presentations, and enrichment stipend set aside for a global experience were just the kind of supplements to my college experience I was looking for. The Forty Acres Scholars Program gave me the vast resources of a world-renowned, large research university, with additional mentorship from UT and Texas Exes faculty and staff, and a supportive, tight-knit community that made me feel like I belonged from the start. I was fortunate to meet and have access to so many accomplished people as well as travel all across the world (3 continents and many more countries!), which allowed me to have experiences and opportunities I never would have had otherwise. The Forty Acres Scholars Program played a huge role in making my entire college experience complete, and I am so honored and thankful to have been a part of this amazing program, growing and learning with my fellow Scholars!