What makes Samantha Chien an Upstander?
In the San Francisco Bay area, there are several high tech companies and engineers. If engineers want to become a director/manager in their company, they will most likely get sent back to college to get an MBA. This is because their degree was in engineering, and they don't have much experience with management. When they are sent back to college, they have two options: 1) quit their job so they can focus on college, or 2) continue working during the day and earn their degree during the night. Both options are incredibly stressful, and to prevent situations like these, Samantha Chien was one of the founding members of a double-degree program at Berkeley UC named MET (Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology). MET combines both Management and Entrepreneurship so their students can avoid the struggles of getting a second degree.
What does it take to be an upstander?
To be an upstander, you have to stand up for others and yourself. For instance, if you saw somebody being teased you would take action to stop it. An upstander would also support the person who was being bullied. For example, offering to talk with them or maybe eating lunch with them the next day. Basically, an upstander is an individual who strives to support their beliefs and will always attempt to stop an act of hatred.
"Strong people stand for themselves, but the strongest people stand up for others"