Jonathan Thompson – December 2020
Texas A&M Department of Economics Amazing Student
December, 2020
Name: Jonathan Thompson
Hometown: Coppell, Texas
High School: Coppell High School
Degree objective: B.S. in Economics, M.S. in Economics
Expected graduation: May 2021
University highlights, awards, scholarships: Elkin Scholarship in Economics, Dean’s List
Clubs/Organizations I am (was) a part of: I am currently the Treasurer for Texas A&M Economics Society (TAMES) and a Director for Texas A&M Consulting Group (TACG). In addition, I have served many roles in the Student Government Association and am currently on the SGA Academic Affairs Committee.
Current employment: Was an intern for PwC this past summer and also a Student Researcher for PERC. I also teach cooking classes in my free time.
Family ties to Texas A&M: My brother is a year above me and really encouraged me to come to Texas A&M.
I chose to attend Texas A&M because… Everyone is so friendly and there is so many opportunities to try new things and meet new people.
My favorite things to do on campus are… Exploring new places on campus. Did you know that the school sits on 5,200 acres? I really enjoy walking around campus and learning ore about everything that the school has to offer.
When I have free time, I like… Cooking and Eating. I’m always happy to try a new restaurant and I often bring snacks or baked goods to share with friends or at club meetings.
The craziest thing I’ve done is… On the last day of my study abroad, a couple of friends and I really wanted to climb Mt. Emai, a mountain famous for the views and cultural significance. The weather had been rough for weeks, but I didn’t want to miss the chance. We were very lucky and the morning was clear enough to make our trip. It did start raining on our way down, but we made it off the mountain a couple of hours before a mudslide warning was put into place.
My favorite place to study is… Graduate lounge in Evans if working with friends in between classes. Otherwise, at my desk.
My favorite ECON professor is… Dr. Doleac. I took her Economics of Crime class and I really enjoyed it. It was cool to see social behavior analyzed in such a scientific way in order to see how things like government policies really affect the world around us. Understanding what the research says, what it doesn’t, and where more study needs to be done in such a relevant topic area made the class and discussions quite interesting. I highly recommend her class if you can take it. Her podcast, Probable Causation, is also great.
My favorite part of being an Economics student is… The thing I love about Econ is that it is such a wide area of study. I really enjoy the flexibility of being able to learn about a breadth of topics through the unique lens of economics.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with… I would love to have an afternoon meal with Chef Yosuke Suga. He is a Japanese chef that has worked under Joel Robuchon (a culinary icon) and now runs SUGALABO. I love his experimental approach to food and his philosophy behind using French techniques to highlight locally sourced products.
If I knew I could not fail, I would… Open a restaurant.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to… Take a cooking class in every country in the world. You learn so much about people through the food that they eat and if I could, I would like to explore it all.
What is your passion and how are you committed to pursuing it? My passion is finding ways to connect people with different cultures and backgrounds. Being someone who was adopted from China and then moved to the US, I’ve always had a multicultural view of the world. I first used cooking as a way to connect with my own background but have evolved to using food as a way to learn about a wide variety of people and cultures. I have been able to meet so many new people due to Texas A&M’s large and diverse student body and hope to continue that wherever I end up.
After graduation, I plan to… I have accepted a job offer with Capital One as a Strategy Associate and will be starting at their McLean HQ next fall.
The one Texas A&M experience I will always remember is… Getting my Aggie ring. My brother, who encouraged me to come to Texas A&M, got his ring the same time I did. It was a wonderful experience to share with my family.