Meet Emma Taylor Frenchu, an Economics and Statistics major of Carnegie Mellon’s Class of 2019. Even though she’s still a freshman, Emma is humble but driven, and “likes to keep herself busy.” The Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity has recognized her merits, and she is now Marketing Chair of their most recent Chi pledge class.
So far, Emma’s experience in Alpha Kappa Psi has been very positive. She loves the way the organization embodies its unofficial motto “come for the professionalism, stay for the brotherhood,” and cherishes the bonds she has formed with her new brothers. “I really enjoy being around others who are as driven as myself,” Emma said.
Emma’s strong self-motivation also comes through in her dedication to and excellence in other areas. A 5 time junior Olympian in precision riflery, she has broken and still holds 6 international records. Even though she was exposed to riflery from a young age due to the influence of adults in the family, she wasn’t initially interested. “It’s just not what 10 year olds liked to do,” she said. A few years later, it was the promise of access to an all-you-can-eat ice cream bar if she became junior Olympian that finally enticed her to pick up the rifle.
Having grown up on a farm in Stockhon, New Jersey, Emma started a small organic blackberry stand on the side of the road with a group of friends. As profit gradually increased, they began experimenting with different blackberry species and expanded their product line to include an assortment of jams, which they sold to local markets and restaurants.
Even though she is currently enrolled in the Quantitative Social Sciences Scholars program, Emma’s passion for the social sciences was only recently discovered. “I have always had a passion for research,” she answered when asked about her past summer experiences. Two of her high school summers were spent conducting research on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at the Rutgers College of Pharmacy. She looks forward to combining her passion for economics and the social sciences with her passion for research, and is currently applying for a research assistant position at Carnegie Mellon’s Center for Behavioral and Decision Research. Without a doubt, Emma will continue to grow and achieve even more than she already has in her next four years at CMU.