Hi there! My name is Diana Stromvig and I’m from Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland. I am an International Economics and Trade graduate student. I was easily one of the most active and academically driven ZUSTers as I hold title of former president of the International Students Union 2020/2021, former secretary of the ISU in 2019/2020 as well as a 3-time outstanding excellent scholarship award holder. These past 4 years at ZUST have taught me nothing more than to be resilient, hardworking and better yet, adventurous. I’m definitely a proud ZUSTer!

I settled in very quickly during my first year, the friendly atmosphere at ZUST allowed me to do so. You will be amazed by how many international students are actively assisting new students, handling office related matters, and just always volunteering advice and information in big student groups. I especially appreciated the opportunity to explore many extents at the office, do extra-curricular activities and this in turn even boosted my confidence in the classroom.

They say ‘team work makes the dream work’, I learnt what this actually means during my second year at ZUST when I was elected Secretary of the ISU. This was no simple task, but it taught me how to interact with different personalities, time management skills and lastly, that work doesn’t always have to be grim and serious, we found joy in serving students so everything we did as a team was fun.

This in turn enabled me to take on a very heavy and significant role as President of the ISU 2020/2021. I have a wonderful, vibrant and very supportive team, even though we have had trying times during this COVID-19 era, I couldn’t have chosen a better team to call my friends. Personally, I have had to overcome challenges I’d never imagined. I appreciate that with ZUST I have evolved, grown and matured in ways unbelievable that continue to prepare me for the future.

Being at ZUST pushed me towards my hobbies. My very first hobby is to travel the world, part of the reason I came to study in China is because of the burning passion I have for experiencing new worlds, cultures and languages. I’m glad I chose China. Because not only did I meet a couple of irreplaceable friends, but I also got to learn a remarkable language- Chinese. With my Chinese level I’ve been able to make Chinese friends, join 2 poetry recitation competitions, where I have landed 3rd place; written HSK exams and lastly, travelled different parts of China, with no fear of getting lost because of the language barrier.

The first clubs I joined were dance club and debate club. My two left feet quickly showed me that debate club was my stronger suit. I’ve been a debate member for first year. I have always admired actresses and actors on TV, but at ZUST, I was given an opportunity to experience a tiny bit of acting. I enjoyed every second of it. It’s safe to say that acting is truly one of my hobbies. I was honored to meet two different Drama clubs at ZUST which I found a second family in. It’s never too late to find new passions, I implore ZUSTers to try out new clubs, make it a habit to snap out of your comfort zone every now and then, you’ll be amazed how many new friends you will make and what skills you have waiting to be discovered. After multiple acting skits on stage I managed to be part of a ZUST anti-drug video, Drama Club anti-drug Chinese act, ZUST Multimedia department anti-drug video (No to Drugs, Yes to Life).

I’m intrigued by most Chinese festivals, and so it was an honor to be part of ZUST’s official Dragon Boat team in 2018. I had discovered a new favorite water activity.

I’m a first Dan Taekwondo black belt, I joined this Martial Arts in 2011. This is my one long true passion after traveling the world. I’ve explored the modeling world as well, because we only live once. I implore anyone who hasn’t found his/her passion yet to go all out.

Aside from all the newly developed talents, I’m an economist by profession. I’m a firm believer that university days are for fun and for exploring new things but I’ve never let that get in the way of my studies. I pride myself of being able to manage my time well, I urge many university students to do the same. Let play time be play time and work time be work time. With this drive and mentality, I have managed to achieve a series of impressive GPAs landing me full tuition scholarships during year 2, 3 & 4.

University years are meant for us to find ourselves, so have fun and be adventurous but don’t neglect your priorities. My advice to new students is you can do anything you set your mind to. Make use of ZUST resources; teachers, senior students, ISU activities for relaxation and many more. Live a little, find your path even business wise, but set your boundaries. To existing and potential graduates; the higher you go, the tougher it gets, may you all find the strength necessary to always give your ultimate best.

I appreciate all my friends, you made my uni-days worthwhile!