Jeannette will graduate from DU with undergraduate degrees in business and French.
Don’t mistake Jeannette Le for your stereotypical sorority girl.
The 22-year-old, who will graduate from DU on June 4, represents the less celebrated side of the Greek system. She works much harder than she plays. Le will get dual degrees — a bachelor’s degree in business administration and international business with a minor in finance, plus a bachelor’s degree in French.
The Greek sisterhood meshed with her academic pursuits, giving her critical business training between classes while raising cash for charitable causes.
“A sorority supports you in all aspects of life. Having those leadership positions is a lot like running a business — working with others, learning communication skills,” says the proud Delta Delta Delta. “When you work really hard you can see the end results.”
The Colorado native, who spent her formative years in Aurora and Broomfield, chose DU, in part, for its highly touted business program. Her subsequent campus tour sealed the deal.
“It felt like home,” she recalls.
Le credits time-management skills for setting her academic life in order, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
“It took a while for me to develop them,” she says of those essential skills. “I don’t want to let anyone down, especially myself. Getting the most out of what this college had to offer really kept me on track.”
For Le, “on track” meant everything from securing internships to soaking in classes she initially feared would be a snooze, like Analysis of Securities.
“Usually the numbers part isn’t particularly interesting to me,” she says. But the class ended up a happy surprise. “Pulling all the pieces of what I’ve learned in finance together is really challenging.”
Barbara Stuart, a lecturer in the Daniels College of Business’ Department of Management, says Le’s presence in the classroom benefited her peers.
“She gives credit to others generously and never has to be asked twice to be a volunteer, to take on an additional task or to come to the rescue,” Stuart says of Le. “She is intrepid in her spirit.”
Le’s second major, French, has a family connection. Her Vietnamese parents attended French schools growing up and speak the language fluently.
“I was introduced to French culture [by my parents] and really loved it,” says Le, who spent part of her junior year in an immersion program in France.
“They dropped me off at a French university and said, ‘Bye, I’ll see you in a few months,’” she says with a grin.
Frederique Chevillot, an associate professor of French at DU, says Le isn’t shy about expressing her opinions in class, but it’s the way she engages her peers that sets her apart.
“She listens carefully, then synthesizes what’s being discussed and volunteers a very pointed question,” Chevillot says. But what Chevillot remembers most fondly about Le’s DU days is her time coaching a fellow French student who happened to be blind.
“I asked Jeannette to help him work with his French,” Chevillot says. “I saw them through a window … she has such a gentle touch, being there for someone utterly different than her. She did a delightful job. That’s where her forte is.”
Le packed plenty into her DU days, but she still wishes she had squeezed a little more learning — and leisure time — into her four years.
“My friends and I wanted to go ice skating at the Ritchie Center. We still haven’t done it, and we’ve been talking about it since freshman year,” she says.
Le sees herself returning to Colorado at some point but would love to see the country, if not the world, before setting down some Mile High roots. She also envisions going back to school for a master’s degree, but not before bulking up her resume.
Her ideal job would offer a creative environment in the marketing field, one where she wasn’t chained to her desk from 9 to 5.
“I want to be a change agent, finding innovative ways to help people,” Le says. “That’s what I’m looking for at the end.”
DU’s undergraduate Commencement ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. June 4 at Magness Arena. For more information or to watch a live stream of the ceremony, visit the DU Commencement website.