Ryana Yin

“I wanted to do so many things when I was a child,” says Ryana Yin (B.S. ’14, Electrical and Computer Engineering). “I didn't even know what a product manager was.” Today, that's the goal. Yin, who is originally from China, is pursuing a graduate degree in economics in Germany because “it will prepare me for analytical, economic positions,” she says. “In combination with my NYIT bachelor's degree, I can also go for product manager positions in high-tech or finance companies.”

Yin originally planned to attend graduate school in the United States, but a recruiter made the case for the emerging technology community in Germany, which dovetailed with her interest in startups, learning about new cultures, and getting a strong business foundation. Yin's adventurous spirit is apparent in her career plans, too. As a product manager, she will have one foot in engineering and one foot in business, but that's not where it ends. “I want to work on products that use technology to change people's mindsets and lives,” she says. And while Hamburg isn't Silicon Valley, Yin isn't concerned as long as she's “working with a passionate team to do something revolutionary.”