Wayne Chou MIT Sloan Optional Essay for R2 Application

1. Explore Bravely
“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
- Ulysses, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
2013.1.6:
When I jumped out of the airplane at
14,000 feet, the cold air hit my face, and I
realized how far I had come. Being a
Skydiver, I learned to be brave. Forgetting
the horizon so that I can fly higher.
Australia
2012.4.3:
The road to Meili Mountain was difficult and
dangerous. The journey taught me to be tough enough
to trek over mountains, yet humble enough to be
fulfilled.
Guam Island
2012.7.1:
I finally earned my scuba diving license after
overcoming the fear of taking off my mask in
the deep ocean. I got a new way to explore
another 70% of the Earth. The ocean taught
me to be flexible, physically and mentally.

2. Explore Sensitively
Aside from physically exploring the world, I seek to
understand others minds, souls and cultures.
2013.1.25:
Tattoos are a unique expression of creativity. By
appreciating tattoos, I get the chance to listen to the
stories behind the designs, which gives me another angle to
see the world and people around me.
2005.9.30:
I started to learn Go. Playing Go, I
enjoy analyzing different situations
and forecasting the tactics my
opponent may use. Those games are
challenging and full of variables and
make me ignore short-term setbacks.
1999.10.3:
Almost everyone in my family works in the tea industry, so I
learned to distinguish a tea’s origin from just a sip. Tasting tea
is charming because it requires patience to wait for the smell
to spread and concentration to detect every characteristic
accompanying the flavor.

3. Commit to Community
“All my life, I've lived by a code - Honor the gods,
love my woman, and protect my country.” - Hector,
Troy 2008.8.18:
On that day, we lost 7 points in the 1st
inning. As the founder of the cheering
section, I inspired and encouraged
members to support athletes from my
country and fight until the end. We
lost in the Olympics but won respect
from our competitors.
2008.5.26:
We stood outside the senate to protest the
construction of a highway that passes through
the natural reserve area. I learned to care
about the environment around me.
2011.9.15:
Believing that another world is possible, I volunteered
to teach mathematics in Blue Sky Reformatory. I
taught, amended their behaviors, and encouraged them
by sharing positive thinking.

4. Commit to Spirit
“You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath
it.” ― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta. I never lost my small-town
heart.
2013.1.6:
The best cider I ever tasted. I paid a 30% down payment
to join a local tour to explore the rainforest. However, a
staff believed I had paid in full already. I corrected them,
and they gave me free drinks for my honesty.
2007.10.1:
I met my cat “Koko” in the street in a cold winter.
He was weak and had a fever of forty degrees. I took
him to the hospital and decided to adopt him. My
friends said I acted like a single father feeding my child.
Now, Koko is 6 years old and weighs 7 kg
– A fat cat!
2002.2.2:
I saved the life of a boy who rushed into the road by laying
down my bike in front of the car. My left arm was broken
in this accident and forced me to miss my baseball
competition, but it was worth it.

5. Fight for We
A dream makes a team; a team builds a dream. Dreaming
together, I imprinted my mind with courage, responsibility and
trust.
2010.9.28:
After a year and a half of effort, we finally built the
corporate productivity system. Along the way, I learned how
to open my mind, deal with conflicts and build consensus.
2007.5.30:
In my last national game appearance in university, as the
4th batter in the softball team, I was used to playing
under high expectation and pressure. My tips are quite
simple: I always started training earliest and ended latest,
practiced again and again to improve every detail.
2005.9.1:
I was selected as captain of a soccer team with
members from 7 countries. During the game, I
needed to calmly analyze the atmosphere, quickly
devise tactics, and effectively direct the other 10
players to attack and defend.

6. can
Confronting Challenges “If Winter comes,Wind,Spring be far behind?”
- Ode to the West
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Malocclusion:
A hereditary condition gave me a crooked jaw. I did
not like being in the public eye, as I imagined
everyone would be looking at my face. I overcame the
difficulty, found the confidence and performed to the
applause of many at my company party.
Polycystic kidney:
I inherited polycystic kidney, a disease with a
possibility of 0.2%. The discovery confirmed my
feeling that I was different from others. I never lost
heart, and I am willing to fight for anything with a
possibility higher than 1%.
Ligament injuries:
The serious injury to my ankle ligament almost ended
my days on the soccer field. I had surgery and
recovered in 3 months through rehabilitation and
determination. In the next month, I led the
department soccer team to win the national
championship.

7. Play Hard
If you want to play a wonderful game, you need to be part of the game at first.
Since 2004:
I initiated and hosted a video game competition
in university. We attracted hundreds of
participants each year and became a popular
event on campus.
Since 2003:
I bought a used motorbike and customized it. Even
in a city with 10 million motorcycles, no one else’s
looks like mine. I became the only one who can
modify, check and correct steel wire indicators in my
town.
Since 1992:
I am a professional collector of baseball and basketball
cards. I now have more than 10,000 cards. My best
investment was Allen Iverson memorabilia since he
played for Georgetown University. I sold them all after
he won NBA Most Valuable Player in 2001 with more
than 500% ROI.

8. Work Hard
It’s not about who I am. It’s totally about who I want to be.
From Tactics to Strategy:
MIT Sloan will retool me with advanced skills and business
mindset to raise my thinking and capabilities. The practical
experience learned from G-project will open my eyes to a
new world both professionally and personally.
From Taiwan to the World:
I became the youngest coordinator for global capacity
planning of a production line, ranging from Singapore, to
China, to the United Stated with USD4.3 billion in
backing. This experience gave me the skills to manage
international teams.
From Economics to Engineering:
I never studied physics and chemistry in school,
but I finished my thesis on semiconductors and
became a key member of the technical board of
TSMC to conduct cutting-edge technology
development. Never say never.