One Degree, Many Journeys: Four International Graduates Reunite in Paris

Studying at ESSEC means more than joining a top business school. It’s about becoming part of a global network. It’s about exploring new continents, ideas, and ambitions. Ruqi, Soraya, Tasina and Zhelin all graduated from the Master in Management program, having completed their studies at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore. Then, their journeys took them to Cergy, Dubai, and the United States. These young alumni embody the spirit of openness, global mobility, and meaningful impact that characterize ESSEC today. This weekend, they’ve come to Paris to receive their diplomas a journey long planned, eagerly awaited and rich with meaning.

Read the testimonials :

Zhelin Yu | Soraya Saint-Marc | Tasina Westberg | Ruqi Xu

Originally from China, Zhelin Yu has always been driven by academic excellence and a strong sense of responsibility. He joined the ESSEC Master in Management program at the Singapore campus, with a focus on finance. He performed well in the field, but soon realized that finance was not an end in itself. Instead, he wanted to better understand the economic system in order to help transform it.

His career journey stands out for combining rigor with openness. After an internship in investment banking, he started questioning the meaning of his work and turned toward impact analysis. He joined a consulting firm focused on sustainable transformation and contributed to projects on responsible finance, including measuring the carbon footprint of investment portfolios.

At ESSEC, he found a stimulating ecosystem rich in cultural diversity and intellectual freedom. He got involved in student clubs focused on sustainability and economic debate. He also became a peer mentor for international students, leading onboarding sessions and sharing his experience with new students.

Today, Zhelin is pursuing a double degree with an American university. His long-term goal? To return to Asia and support public and private actors in building a more ethical and sustainable financial system. Through impact investing and responsible fund structuring, he wants to prove that financial performance and social responsibility can go hand in hand.

Even while studying in Singapore, Zhelin stayed in close contact with students in France through regular online meetings. “Those virtual calls helped me build strong relationships with students on the French campus,” he says. Attending the graduation ceremony in Paris is deeply meaningful: “It’s a chance to finally meet my friends in person and connect with more students and alumni. It’s the perfect end to my time at ESSEC an unforgettable moment.”

Born to a French father and a Balinese mother, Soraya has always lived between cultures. She spent her early years in Beijing and learned Mandarin. As a teenager, she moved to Lyon and completed high school in an international science program.

She first enrolled in a top Dutch university for environmental sciences before transferring to ESSEC. Her journey began in Cergy, then continued in Singapore. “While I was in the Netherlands, my family moved to Singapore. Because of Covid, I didn’t see them for two years: it was really hard. Plus, I’ve always loved Singapore!”

She did her final internship there and received a job offer. But Soraya knew she could aim higher, and thought this was her chance to explore even more of what world had to offer. She applied to AlphaSights in Dubai, a company she first discovered during an ESSEC-organized visit. “It made an impression. Everyone was young, dynamic, and international. The office space was beautiful. I just thought, this is where I want to start my career.”

Now an associate, she works with a global network of experts. “I collaborate with top-tier consultants. My job is to find the right expert, someone with 20 years of experience on a specific topic. It’s fascinating. The subjects change every day.”

Based in Dubai since January, she chose to celebrate her graduation in Paris. “My parents never got to attend my previous graduations, because something always got in the way. So them flying all the way to Paris for this one is a truly wonderful way to wrap up my many years of academic studies . ” She could have joined the Singapore ceremony but felt Paris made more sense. “I work in Dubai, but I started at ESSEC in Paris. Many of my M1 friends will be there. I haven’t seen them in two years. It means a lot to reconnect. It’s symbolic.”

What’s next? “I don’t know if I would’ve gotten this job without the ESSEC name. The company hires from a few target schools. As a former student ambassador for ESSEC, it has been an absolute pleasure promoting ESSEC and speaking to prospective students. It's my goal to keep doing so from a school that has given me so much.”

Half German, half Swedish, and raised mostly in the United States, Tasina Westberg has chosen to tell her story in French. She started learning the language on her own at age 12, out of curiosity. Long before joining ESSEC, French had already taken her across the country during student exchanges with host families. Her love for languages, meeting new people, and building connections started in high school and led her to Cergy in 2020 to join the ESSEC Global BBA.

"I was looking for an international and demanding academic program, one that would help me build a global career." At ESSEC, Tasina quickly got involved in campus life. She joined the Student Council during her first two years and focused on welcoming international students and helping new cohorts settle in. “What I loved most was meeting all kinds of people and making sure everyone felt like they belonged.”

With each step, she followed her instincts and refined her path. She moved from the international to the French-speaking track, spent a semester in Rabat, and then went to Rome for a six-month Erasmus exchange. She even took some classes in Italian. “It was a real challenge, but it helped me connect with local students. It was an amazing experience!”

In Rabat, a course on urban marketing sparked her interest in cities and communication. That’s when she decided to join the ESSEC Master’s program in Communication, Media, and Digital Cities, in partnership with Panthéon-Assas University. It’s a little-known program, but she calls it “a golden opportunity.”

During her first semester of the master’s program, she interned in Berlin in hotel event planning. She got the position through an ESSEC alum who managed the company. “Berlin is such an open, international city. I felt at home right away.”

Now, just days before Commencement Day, when she will graduate from the BBA program, Tasina reflects on her journey. These past years were intense, full of learning, encounters, and discoveries. “ESSEC gave me a strong foundation but also a home, where I was free to build my own path.”

What’s next? She’s getting ready for her next step with the same energy: working in an international environment, staying true to her values, and continuing to connect cultures.