Active Learning Summer Intern Introductions: Grace Pan

Hello! My name is Grace Pan, and I am a rising sophomore at Harvard University.

I was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, California, living just minutes from the beach.

Some of my hobbies include advocating for student needs on the Undergraduate Council (Harvard’s student government), ballroom dancing, playing piano and flute, drawing and practicing yoga.

Academically, I am interested in studying government and philosophy, and I am particularly fascinated by how education models and cultural environments influence people’s values. I believe in the power of good government.

It’s extraordinary to me that an environment alone can hold people to such high personal standards. A good environment can create a place in which innate values and external culture harmonize, compelling people to reach for a greater good outside themselves.

I’ve realized that, in my own leadership style, I, too, try and unite my school community through common purpose instead of authority. Rather than a zero-sum game in which people fight for limited resources, I promote a positive-sum perspective—collaboration ultimately leads to greater things than does competition.

My dream is to convince more people to believe the same.

While in Japan, I look forward to making new friends, trying new foods, and going where the wind takes me!