WKU Graduate | ZHANG Chong: Cambridge Offer + 1! In Pursuit of Becoming an Independent Film Director, She Says to Herself, “Take It Easy!”

Being steadfast and calm, modest and amiable, and sticking to build-up for success have characterized Zhang Chong’s four-year college life.

Graduate of 2024: Zhang Chong
Major: Communication (Public Relations)
Graduate School: Cambridge University
Origin: Ningbo, Zhejiang Province

For Zhang Chong, speaking provides opportunities for her to express herself. In various speaking contests, she bulldozed her way to stand on higher platforms, where she voiced on behalf of those she represented. The first prize in the national final of “The China Mobile Cup” English Star Contest for the 19th Asian Games, the runner-up of Zhejiang Province in the “21st Century Cup” National College Student English Speaking Contest, the second prize in the national final of the “FLTRP-ETIC Cup” National English Debating Competition for College Students... With all these honors pocketed though, Zhang said, “As a matter of fact, I have no special tricks, but only the nerve to take an unusual path and an unwavering devotion to speaking.”

These honors are grounded in Zhang’s daily sharpening herself up. She believes down-to-earth efforts will pay off and seizes every chance to exercise herself. By participating in the daily training of English debating and speaking teams, she realized a leap from less-thanseven-minute speaking with nervousness to a confident response to every question on the stage.

During her four years at the university, Zhang set no boundaries for herself and always told herself, “Need to learn more.” She kept trying those courses, which were challenging for her to get out of her comfort zone. “Learn for happiness, learn for yourself” is the attitude Zhang has been taking to learning. She mentioned that utilitarianism-based learning is inadvisable and GPA is not the only thing to pursue. During learning, exploring topics one is interested in is of prime importance.

WKU offers many scientific research opportunities to students. Thanks to this, Zhang could dabble in different fields – From research on causes of academic procrastination to using discourse analysis to study how the democratic process impacts political speeches, from the case study of decolonization in Ghana to study of the Americanization of South Korea based on the film Parasite and further to comparison of orientalism in film noirs of South Korea and Spain. On the way to scientific research, Zhang continues her exploration.

Besides, films’ philosophical depth and aesthetic properties appeal to Zhang. As she sees it, the aesthetics of mourning lends convenience to access the essence of cinema. Therefore, she finally decided to explore the aesthetics of mourning, taking the time and space of films as the framework. Since films last more because of thoughts, the core of cinema, than various advanced photographing technologies, Zhang desires to become an independent film director. Therefore, she needs more theoretical accumulation for later application in film production.

Her persistence is finding a way that fits her best in the bustle and sticking to it with resolution and confidence. For the future, Zhang Chong says, “Hope I can continue as a modest and brave knowledge seeker.” With hope in mind and light in her eyes, she is advancing steadily, exploring the path that leads her to becoming an independent film director.