When Alan Zeng joined Rainier Scholars in its second cohort, he couldn’t have predicted how much the program would shape his life. Since earning his undergraduate degree from Occidental College in 2014, he has spent his professional life championing community-based and social impact work. It’s a career that’s included teaching faith-based student leadership on college campuses and heading food security and economic development in Afghanistan. Currently, he is a director at a non-profit providing employment services to formerly incarcerated individuals in Los Angeles while completing his MBA at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. The values of excellence, integrity, perseverance, and courage, seeded during his early years at Rainier Scholars have been foundational throughout his career journey.
“The academic rigor was so important,” he explains. “I’m so glad I experienced that difficult academic focus early on. But other parts of my Rainier Scholars experience that aren’t connected to academics were also important, including exploring my interests and values, how I show up in the world, and what it means to be a thoughtful leader. Those lessons greatly impacted what I’ve done in non-profit humanitarian aid and public health work.”
One of his most memorable Rainier Scholars moments came early on while delivering an oratory speech as a young student in middle school. “That was so difficult for me. Performing a speech in front of a large audience was a skill I had not developed, and I remember sweating profusely and being very nervous. I really struggled with it,” he recalls.” But looking back on it now, I think how important it was for me to get out of my comfort zone. It was an introduction to public speaking, which I do day in and day out now.”
Alan’s journey also underscores the deeply personal role Rainier Scholars plays in transforming scholars’ lives. He credits a pivotal phone call from then-Staff Psychologist Dr. Ronnie Cunningham with informing his college path. While Alan was on the verge of committing to a local university — a “safe” choice close to home, friends and family — Dr. Cunningham made a strong case for Occidental College, a smaller, more student-focused environment over a thousand miles away in Los Angeles. “If I hadn’t had that discussion with Dr. Cunningham, my life would probably be quite a bit different,” he says. “Going to L.A. launched my young adult life in such a meaningful way, and my experiences at Occidental College impacted many different aspects of my life, around career, personal life, faith, and religion.”
Looking back over his non-profit career spanning working with students, tackling international humanitarian aid, and helping those formerly incarcerated find meaningful employment, Alan knows Rainier Scholars empowered him to make many decisions that took him outside his comfort zone. Rainier Scholars encouraged him to ask questions about what kind of work truly mattered to him. He explored tech companies and worked an internship with Amazon. Later, he considered business school and sought advice from staff and peers. More recently, his interest turned toward consulting, prompting conversations with Rainier Scholars alumni already in the field.
Alan shared that the program was full of reflection and constant encouragement to push past limits. “I remember being challenged and pushed to think beyond what I thought was possible for me. A huge part of what it meant to be in Rainier Scholars is learning that, while I thought I was capable of one thing, I’m actually capable of so much more. We were treated with respect and given agency. I think that narrative was a huge part of what it meant to go through Rainier Scholars and see the world’s opportunities open up.”
As Rainier Scholars marks 25 years, Alan’s story is a powerful reflection of the program’s mission in action. From academic excellence to courageous leadership, his path reminds us that investing in potential can transform scholars’ lives and have a ripple effect throughout the communities they serve and beyond.