By Alexa Bautista, Fellow
November 13, 2022
Passionate, enthusiastic, and resilient; Ben Gu, fourth year Economics major and Data Science minor, truly embodies his role as Co-Community Chair for GRC and a well-rounded student of the UC Berkeley family.
Ben was born in Shanghai, China, but moved to San Mateo with his family in middle school. Before transferring to UC Berkeley in Fall 2021, he attended UC Santa Barbara where he was on the advisory committee as a junior analyst.
In GRC, Ben loved working on the APAPA (Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association) expansion project with his project manager Angel because he was able to implement and build his professional skills and knowledge of Asian American populations. He also loves his position as Co-Community Chair because he loves gathering everyone together and helping members relieve their stresses. Outside of GRC, he is working with the ASUC as the Chief of Finance for Senator Stephanie Wong which aligns with his professional interests in economics consulting and finance.
One hobby that Ben picked up during the pandemic was collecting houseplants! He first started his plant collecting journey by going to big box shops such as Home Depot and Ikea, but now tries to go to more niche areas to find specific plants. Ben says the best way to find specific plants is through different Facebook groups as well as trying to exchange the cuttings of plants due to certain plants not being widely available.
Some locations where you could spot Ben would be the rooftop of Eshleman Hall studying, Imm Thai, or even Gather! Outside of Berkeley, Ben recommends going to Baker Beach to spot the Golden Gate Bridge and have a picnic. He also loves going to Hawaii because of the climate, the hiking trails, and his huge love for poke bowls. Furthermore, a location that is on his bucket list is Africa to go on a safari.
As a senior and a board member at GRC Ben advises all new members to “enjoy the experience in the club! Be ready to reach out and we’re really welcome to help you and support you in any way possible, and enjoy the process!”
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