Scholarship winner will travel to Asia

Around this time next year, Wharton alumnus Jon Ang will be somewhere in Asia. But he doesn't speak a word of any Asian language. Ang is one of 18 Luce Scholars, selected from a group of 120 young college graduates for their leadership capabilities, career direction and ambition and academic accomplishment. The winners of the annual Luce Scholarship, awarded by the Henry Luce Foundation, will spend 11 months in one of a dozen Asian countries. "I'm trying to explore the role that business plays in urban poverty in Asia," said Ang, a 1997 Penn graduate. "[The Foundation wants] you to gain exposure living abroad, also." Applicants for the scholarship are required to be under 30 years old, and to have limited knowledge of Asian cultures. Ang's recent experience at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging new thinking about and business development in inner cities, should be good preparation for his work in Asia. He joined the ICIC after choosing to leave a successful career in investment banking. "Penn really impressed upon me the importance of broadening my horizons," Ang said. "I've always been pretty focused on the community and giving back to the community." Ang made use of Penn's newly-created Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships in preparing his application. The center's director, Art Casciato, was modest about CURF's role in Ang's success. "I don't want to toot CURF's horn too loudly, because first and foremost, it's the Penn student who wins these awards.," Casciato said. "Jon Ang was a very competitive and most deserving candidate before he ever came to [CURF]." "We did help John to win this award insofar as we gave him a mock interview... but most of all, what we emphasized to Jon was to play to his own strength," Casciato said. "It's that narrative that most of all made Jon a winner." Casciato expressed optimism about the possibility of future Penn winners of the Luce and similar awards. Ang listed Thailand, Korea and Taiwan as his top choices, but the Asia Foundation is ultimately responsible for his placement. He will leave for Asia in late August or early September, after an intense language immersion course. "Our goal is to create greater understanding of the cultures of Asia among young men and women who will assume leading roles in American society," said Henry Luce III, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, in a statement. "I believe that Penn students in general are more than talented enough and accomplished enough to win honors and awards like the Rhodes, the Marshall and the Luce on a regular basis, but as I've said before, they can't win these awards without applying, and CURF is here to help them present themselves in the best way possible," Casciato said. The Luce Foundation was established by Time magazine founder Henry Luce. Luce and his wife were missionaries to China in the early 20th century, and their four children were born there.