Last November, Wayne Cheng experienced firsthand the fundamental business principle he had been learning about in his Fox School of Business classes: managing scarce resources.

As president of the Asian-interest fraternity Beta Pi Phi, Cheng and his brothers had organized a pre-Thanksgiving dinner celebration for members of Philadelphia’s Chinatown community. After weeks of planning, fundraising and preparation, the group was ready to serve 150 guests. But when the doors opened, nearly 300 had arrived.

Making the most of their limited food supplies, the men were able to feed everyone amply, and the event became one of many successful service activities the fraternity has undertaken under Cheng’s leadership.

“It was an amazing effort by everyone,” he said. “I believe we had the right people to make it happen.”

The experience is just one of many obstacles Cheng has overcome on his journey to becoming a college graduate. A Hong Kong native, as a nine-year-old he overcame the fear that can come with adjusting to a new school in a strange nation. But during his high school years he would face an even bigger loss when his father died suddenly.

Cheng’s strong values and imitable spirit have propelled him through these challenges, and he has excelled as a student leader while juggling the demands of school and financial solvency. He has held several part-time jobs — at Starbucks, PNC Bank and the TECH Center — so that his mother would not be burdened with the expense of college.

“My lifestyle is a lot different than the average student,” he says. “I’m no position to ask my mother for to pay. I am my dad’s son — I take responsibility for taking care of myself.”

Such self-determination is propelling Cheng toward a career in the risk management or insurance industry. He is undaunted by the difficult economic circumstances he and his fellow graduates now face.  

“Don’t say things are impossible,” said Cheng. “We cooked a meal for 300 people on one stovetop. You are always able to make something happen if you don’t give up.”