WKU Graduate | LI Haoru: With a perfect GPA 4.0, her approach is "Complete tasks for today."

“Engaging in public service allows me to understand society better, recognize society, and give back to society. This is the true role of psychology in my heart,” Hou said. In the future, he will continue to pursue his passion for psychological research, deciphering the mysteries deep within human nature.

Graduate of 2024: Li Haoru
Major: Mathematical Sciences (Data Analytics Option)
Graduate School: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Origin: Qingdao, Shandong Province

Maintaining a 4.0 GPA, Li Haoru has consecutively won the Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship and the Dean's Scholarship First Prize for two consecutive years. As an undergraduate, she published one journal article and two conference papers. She also won first prize at the 2nd WKU Programming Hackathon. Having resolutely chosen a major in mathematics during her college application, Li achieved outstanding academic results with a full 4.0 GPA and garnered significant achievements in scientific research and competitions.

"Complete tasks for today" has always been Li's creed, and the National Scholarship is the best recognition of her efforts over the past three years.

Of course, there is a "secret" to such outstanding achievements. Li shares her learning experiences along the way. She emphasizes the importance of systematic review and typological summarization before exams. Moreover, one encounters a significant amount of academic English terminology when learning specialized courses. She advises against using translation software directly. Instead, she recommends understanding based on context and simultaneously mastering new vocabulary while learning the course content, which lays a solid foundation for her subsequent specialized courses.

During her junior year, Li went to Kean USA for exchange. She mentioned, "The professors are concerned about our growing environments and the pressures of competition. In the classroom, we can engage like friends, exchanging viewpoints and challenging each other with thought-provoking questions." 

207.6 is not just a number but represents someone who holds an umbrella for others

With over 20 volunteer service activities and 207.6 hours accumulated in volunteer services, Li has devoted herself to public welfare. To her thinking, even a faint light must strive to illuminate the path forward for the children.

As the head of the "WKU BUD UNION" public service teaching team, Li has left her "footprints of love" from Ruian Tongpu Elementary School to Qiandongnan in Guizhou. Inspired by her family and the motto of fostering kindness, she aims to help more people through teaching. Despite challenges, Li has gained warm and rewarding memories. Since she is passionate about music, she also used her talents in a more meaningfully and took on the role of music teacher during her teaching stints. "I hope to broaden the children's horizons and let them know that learning can be fun," she says.

During her exchange in the United States, she 207.6 is not just a number but represents someone who holds an umbrella for others taught mathematics at a high school in New Jersey, experiencing the differences between Chinese and American educational methods, which further benefited her career planning. After her exchange, Li shared her experiences with the visa application and medical examination processes in the United States on the Bilibili video platform, aiming to help more students with similar experiences.

Li Haoru believes that the most significant benefit from her exchange was experiencing unforgettable local cultures and receiving high-quality education at overseas universities. Her next plan is to pursue master's studies at prestigious universities abroad. In the future, she hopes to continually learn and achieve her ultimate dream of becoming a university professor with research and teaching capabilities. She also encourages her juniors to bravely find what interests them most, as the hard work always pays off in the future.