Leadership Spotlight

Wharton senior Joyce Meng was among 32 American students to receive the Rhodes Scholarship last fall. Meng, a Joseph Wharton Benjamin Franklin scholar as well as a Wharton Research Scholar, said she is excited to study at Oxford University, where she plans to earn two master’s degrees in economics.

Meng, who is captain of the debate team, plays ice hockey and is involved in several Wharton clubs, is the only Penn student to earn a Rhodes Scholarship this year. After her freshman and sophomore years, the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business student worked at international finance firms in Taiwan and Hong Kong, respectively. Last summer, after interning for Goldman Sachs, Meng worked for FINCA International, a microfinance firm.

Along with four others—Wharton seniors Jason Mischel and Julie Pearne, Wharton and Engineering sophomore Alexander Yen and 2007 Wharton alumna Clara Chao—she founded Youth Bank, a microbusiness incubator in Lagos, Nigeria, that works to provide financial opportunities for urban youth.

“Joyce really represents the best of Penn,” Provost Ron Daniels told the Daily Pennsylvanian. “She’s a high achiever, she has a wide range of interests and she cares so much about making the world a better place.” To apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, students must be nominated by their universities. This year, 764 students were endorsed by 294 different colleges and universities.