Simon Staal | Valedictorian (Imperial, Computer Engineering), Optiver Grad (Software), 10 Countries 4 Continents Upbringing, Saints School Memories w/ David, 'Rejecting' Cambridge, Future Tech Predictions, Money, Happiness | Coffee's on Me, David Quan 权丁文

Coffee's on Me, David Quan 权丁文

Episode 95 of #CoffeesOnMeDavidQuan: Simon Staal recently completed his studies in computer engineering at Imperial College London, one of the best technical universities in the world. As somehow who has always been competitive in the classroom, Simon has an extensive history of prizes attained over his academic journey, recently culminating into being awarded the Siemens Memorial Medal for graduating with the top score in his department.

Having lived in 10 countries across 4 continents, Simon has a culturally diverse background, and has helped him gain a strong sense of gratitude for the opportunities he's been given. This has fueled his strong urge to help others, reflected in many years of mentoring and extensive involvement in student representation, for which he was awarded the Electrical Engineering department's Denis Gabour prize for outstanding contributions to student life.

On a more personal level, Simon has recently reignited his passion in climbing in the form of indoor bouldering (the most stereotypical software engineer hobby in existence), and enjoys spending his remaining free time hanging out with friends and loved ones, keeping fit, or diving into one of the many games on his list which have accumulated over the busy course of his degree. Having just wrapped up 3 months of travelling in Iceland and South East Asia, he is briefly back in London for his graduation ceremony before moving to Amsterdam to rejoin Optiver as a graduate software engineer.
"The conversation with David was a great way to reminisce about previous experiences, and he does a fantastic job pushing you out of your comfort zone with interesting questions that make you think." – Simon Staal
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WHY? COFFEE'S ON ME, DAVID QUAN 权丁文
TL;DR: To process my emotions after a grueling campaign for President of The Cambridge Union, I reflected upon the influences of my late Grandfather and wrote him a letter: https://linktr.ee/DavidQuan . Drawing inspiration from him, I hope to learn more from others through genuine discussions – giving listeners heartfelt conversations filled with authentic insights, and giving guests legacy-worthy interviews to treasure.
And the best part for guests? Coffee’s on Me, David Quan 权丁文
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NOMINATE A GUEST
Please contact me to nominate someone. This would really help identify the anonymous extraordinaries！
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CONTACT ME
Having grown up in Xi'an, China, and Adelaide, Australia, I am a Double First-Class University of Cambridge Graduate (Class of 2023) and current Goldman Sachs Analyst.
Please do have the courage to say hello!
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/DavidQuan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dingwen-david-quan/