Because he loves science and technology, Troy Jiang started out with a double major in Physics and Math. He still loves both subjects, and he still plans to earn two majors. But the details have changed a bit.

“I discovered that I want more opportunities to interact with people for my work,” Troy explains. Though he strongly believes in the power of technology to make the world a better place, he no longer dreams of becoming a scientist or an engineer. “Now,” he says, “I want to balance my passion for science with my desire to interact with different people. The technology sector is still appealing to me, but my focus has shifted from pure science and engineering to the mixture of them with business.”

Accordingly, Troy kept his Math major but replaced Physics with Communication of Science and Technology. He also decided to invest part of the summer after his sophomore year at Vanderbilt in the Accelerator program.

“I believe this is a great opportunity for us to better understand different industries and functional areas and to meet incredible mentors, peers and professionals,” he says. “Accelerator helps us both learn and practice skills that we will use in the real world. It provides the unique opportunity to learn about real companies and help them with the challenges they have. Since every project we work on is in real life, we can see the difference that we make.”

Over the past year, Troy has developed a clearer sense of his career aims. Working for a tech company, he would like to be “the person who helps coordinate different projects and communicates our achievements to the world.” Now he also has a better sense of how to get there. “Prior to Accelerator, I had a goal, but I did not know the way to my goal,” he says. “Accelerator helped me better understand different industries and the nature of different jobs. It provided mentors who guide me toward my goals.”

Fun Fact: Troy never saw a “Star Wars” movie. Now he refuses to see one, he says, “just so I have something to list as my fun fact."

“Prior to Accelerator, I had a goal, but I did not know the way to my goal.”