Roger Wong

January 26, 2015
Exchange student talks semester at the Robins School and life back home in Singapore

Exchange student. Avid traveler. Passionate aviator. These are a few ways to describe Kang Quan “Roger” Wong, a senior exchange student and operations management major from Singapore Management University (SMU).

Wong shared, “I’ve dreamed of becoming a pilot since I was 10 years old. In high school, I attended a career seminar and realized that an office job didn’t appeal to me, so I planned to seek a career in sales, event planning, or anything that would allow me to be on the move. When I was in junior college preparing to apply to universities, I was offered the opportunity to join the Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC) to complete a Private Pilot License (PPL) flight course. I jumped at the chance.”

He showed promise as a pilot. Completing the PPL course by the age of 17, he continued on to pursue his passion for flying as his career. Over the years, he was able to live out his dream as an aviator, taking a different career path from most of his peers. After taking flight for several years, Wong began to look toward his undergraduate studies and successfully applied to SMU in 2011, at the age of 25.

“I’ve always loved exploring new places,” he shared. “Throughout my career as well as my time at SMU, I was able to explore many countries, including Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Taiwan, Germany, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. I’d always wanted to visit the U.S., so when it came time to consider studying abroad, it was the perfect chance to fulfill that dream.”

He revealed, “After three years in the heart of downtown Singapore, I had accumulated a lot of the stress that comes with city life. As a result, I wanted to find a more relaxed campus in the U.S. When I started looking at schools, I found the University of Richmond and the Robins School of Business. With the beautiful campus, community and reputation along with the strategic location on the East Coast that would allow me to travel easily, I knew this was the place for me.”

Wong spoke of his time at the Robins School. “I quickly saw the high standard of teaching here, most notably after taking Professor Richard Coughlan’s negotiations class. The professors here draw on their real-world experiences to support the coursework, and that adds so much to the lessons we learn. After taking the innovation and entrepreneurship course with Professor Eric Martin, I even began considering the possibility of starting my own business in the future. The professors here are inspiring.”

Wong returned to SMU in January for his final semester. After graduation, Wong will return to the skies to continue his career. “I plan to become a flight instructor when I return to work. I look forward to playing my part in teaching and mentoring the next generation.” 

Wong offered some advice to current and future exchange students. “It’s important to have an open mind in order to immerse yourself into another culture. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to meet new people. After 15 weeks in the U.S., I can now say I’m able to adapt to new cultures quickly and comfortably. This time has allowed me to interact with so many new people, and as a result, I’ve learned invaluable truths while making great friends along the way.”