Anjalee Hou
A big part of A big part of Anjalee Hou’s life has been working at her parents’ restaurant, China 10. It’s now on Fire Tower Road but used to be on 10th Street in Greenville.
“This was right next to the ECU campus, and my family would frequently attend basketball and football games,” Hou said. “We have been a member of the Pirate Club for over 20 years, and many ECU staff, even previous chancellors, have eaten at our restaurant. ECU has been a staple in my life, and while I applied to other universities, I always knew ECU was the right choice for me.”
That’s even more true now that Hou has been accepted into the EC Scholars Program. It’s ECU’s most prestigious undergraduate award program. The four-year merit scholarship recognizes outstanding academic performance, commitment to community engagement and strong leadership skills. Recipients receive an Honors College scholarship and a stipend for study abroad for a total value of nearly $64,000.
“Being an EC Scholar means I now have a second family,” she said. “Even before I was a scholar, the members of the Honors College treated me like family. The amount of continual support and kindness that the staff and students have given me makes me so proud to be a part of this community.”
Hou, 18, is the daughter of Lien and Philip Hou. She will graduate from J.H. Rose High School in Greenville. She plans to major in economics and pursue a pre-med route at ECU.
“We’ll see where that takes me,” she said.
In high school, Hou has been a member of the National Honor Society, English honor society (vice president), the science honor society, the art honor society, Rho Kappa (the history honor society, treasurer) Mu Alpha Theta (the math honor society, vice president) and the Link Crew.
She’s also president of the Asian Culture Society, which she founded her sophomore year. “I believed it was necessary for the Asian community at Rose to be represented, and the ACS does just that,” she said. “Together, we have celebrated many Asian holidays such as the Winter Solstice, Holi, the Lunar New Year and much more. I will definitely miss the ACS the most, and I hope to join other culture clubs at ECU, too.”
She hasn’t settled on a study-abroad destination but wants to get immersed in another culture.
When she’s not busy with school, she works at the restaurant. “I help pack takeouts, cater long distance and waitress,” she said. “Working at the restaurant has taught me social skills and how to work with other people.”
This summer, she plans to work and catch up on reading. She looks forward to getting on campus for the fall semester.
“Learning that ECU is doing its best to stay on track to keep the fall semester open has made me very happy,” she said. “It would be really sad to have my first semester of college online, especially since my senior year has been cut short as well.
“I can’t wait to meet everyone and create lasting memories over the next four years.”
“While I applied to other universities, I always knew ECU was the right choice for me.”
High school: J.H. Rose High School
Intended major: Economics
Hometown: Grimesland