As Lunar New Year invites reflection, renewal, and bold new beginnings, Peiching Tsai’s journey at Cal Poly Pomona’s Singelyn Graduate School of Business is a powerful example of transformation through courage and community.
As an international student who made the leap from a stable career in Taiwan to pursue a master’s degree in the United States, her story reflects both resilience and reinvention.
“Leaving a stable, well-paying job to start over in a new country was definitely challenging,” Tsai shares. “However, I believe that studying at CPP and getting involved in these phenomenal events and projects represents a meaningful personal and professional ‘upgrade’ for me.”
Before enrolling in the M.S. in Business Analytics program, Tsai worked for several years as an operations and sales manager for a Japanese designer brand in the fashion retail industry. While the role offered stability and leadership experience, she found herself drawn to a deeper understanding of the numbers driving business decisions.
That curiosity ultimately led her to pursue a graduate degree in business analytics — a field that blends data analysis, technology, and business strategy.
Tsai currently works as a graduate assistant in the Singelyn Graduate School of Business, where she has supported projects such as course enrollment and enrollment forecasting analysis — practical applications of predictive analytics that mirror the kind of work business analytics professionals perform in industry.
Ask Tsai about her favorite professor, and her answer is immediate. “Definitely Dr. Yazdani,” she says. “I have taken three of his courses. He teaches with great passion and consistently engages students to the fullest. He has also helped me build significant confidence in overcoming my fear of public speaking, especially as a non-native English speaker. He is truly the best of the best.”
One of Tsai’s most memorable experiences at Cal Poly Pomona was the 2025 AI Hackathon. Her team conceptualized an AI-powered education app that integrates adaptive learning modules to foster critical thinking and strengthen academic integrity, earning second place in the education category.
“I learned how to work smartly with AI, not by using it blindly or fearing that it will take away job opportunities, but by leveraging it smartly and responsibly,” she says.
Beyond academics and work, Tsai is the president of the Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA), staying connected to her cultural roots while building community at CPP.
Tsai reflects on the traditions that have long shaped her sense of renewal and community. “To me, Lunar New Year represents saying goodbye to the past, embracing the future and, most importantly, spending meaningful time with family,” Tsai said.
In the days leading up to the new year, her family would thoroughly clean their home; a symbolic act of sweeping away the past and making room for new beginnings. As a child, Tsai especially looked forward to receiving red envelopes from her elders, a cherished tradition that symbolizes protection, peace, and safety in the year ahead.
The year ahead has plenty in store for Tsai: She is currently working on team is partnering with Cal Poly Pomona Enterprises (CPPE) to help leaders make data-driven decisions that improve operational efficiency and increase revenue. After graduation, she plans to pursue roles in analytics, consulting and management — fields where data-driven decision-making is central to strategy and growth.
“I enjoy uncovering insights from data and translating them into clear, actionable language for stakeholders. Focusing on what the numbers reveal rather than subjective impressions, is a critical part of this process,” she says.
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Tsai and her team at the AI Hackathon |
