He adjusts the collar of his crisp button-down and calmly crosses his legs, his perfectly ironed dress pants pulling up to reveal polished shoes and matching socks. The color scheme of his outfit looks straight out of a catalogue, and his demeanor is sophisticated, yet casual, something comforting and humble about the way he leafs through his gently worn moleskin. As I approach, he adjusts his chair to face me and smiles warmly while I take a seat, assuring my flustered self that I’m not late. Somehow, he managed to arrive before me despite the fact that I showed up ten minutes early to our appointment. He is fifth year Kendrick Wang. Don’t let his relaxed manner fool you: he has done more in a few years of college than many have even attempted in their short stay here.
His motivation is the challenge, the risk of failure, and the victory of pushing past that failure to something much greater. Having admitted that everything meaningful in his life, he failed at first, he assured me that he has no talents, but rather had to work extremely hard for every success he has gained. Despite being rejected once, Wang has had the opportunity to be a part of the SPOP staff twice now, giving incoming freshmen the great honor of having a highly enthusiastic and motivated individual like him be part of their first impression of UCI. The first time he tried out for MCIA, Wang was rejected, and with that he found a greater will to succeed. He made the dance crew on his second try, prompting a thirst to perform that he carried with him into BBA (B-Boys Anonymous) and Project Groovement. Additionally, Wang has been a peer assistant under Jeff Johnson, essentially an undergraduate TA helping with lesson-planning, which is good preparation for his dream to open a private school and give students a personal education they can relate to. Rather than letting his multiple projects get in his way, Wang has only used his desire to overcome obstacles as a machete in our little Irvine jungle. Our celeb has done research for the informatics department to bring local hospitals into the technological age by integrating electronic medical record and is currently a community assistant in Vista Del Campo Norte. While he admits that he is always stretched a little too thin, Wang finds inspiration from those who have a passion and love for what they do.
Though this may be your first time hearing of him, if you walked down Ring Road during week four you probably recognized one of Wang’s achievements. Along with a handful of very motivated friends, Wang and his buddies built and displayed the now-famous “Before I Die” wall, making the decision to do so after his close friend David Khim shared a related article on their think-tank-esque Facebook page where they challenge each other in intelligent discussion. Wang and his friends spent three weekends building the wall despite zero construction experience, had it approved, and set it up with fingers crossed. When Wang heard a girl explicitly say that “this wall made [her] rethink[her] life,” he knew it was all worth it. With such a feat under his belt, it’s no surprise that Wang and his aforementioned friend, David, have consequently started their own side business.
With his impeccable style and sweet, quiet deportment, Wang has the potential to come off as reserved and introverted. And he is, but therein lies his power. He sharply observes and can give useful feedback, resulting in the perfect position in his business: fashion consulting. With his buddy, he has a side business called Panoply, found at panoplyproject.wordpress.com, where they offer fairly reasonable prices for immaculate fashion advice. When asked about his own style, it’s clear Wang is passionate, explaining how his inspiration stemmed from the confidence of b-boys at his high school and blossomed into a daily joy, where he can work without ever really working. Admitting that sometimes his clothes can be armor for his guarded personality, he proceeds to explain that he does see a difference in treatment when he is dressed nicely and when he is not. Not only is his confidence heightened, but he wants others to feel the same, whether they are going on a date or in for an interview. The point is to enhance pre-existing qualifications in any given scenario with good style, allowing each client to put their best foot forward.
With that being said, it’s clear that our celebrity this week is highly deserving of the title, making the effort to not only push his own boundaries, but attempting to do the same with the world one accomplishment at a time. Whether it’s a simple chalkboard or a basic WordPress website, Wang proves that all it takes is a little inspiration and some elbow grease to produce a masterpiece. Wang is the perfect example of a self-made man with a bright future. Although he may not have much of a social life with all of his responsibilities, get to know him a bit better and catch this stud shakin’ what his momma gave him at Soulstice on March 8.