“I've always envisioned students in the program to be motivated, creative, and sort of genius kids who have a desire to make a change in the world,” Henry Si Han Yin says of IYA. “There are students who have single-handedly built startups, engineered products, and created beautiful artwork. I'm excited to learn from such fascinating individuals and grow along the way. “ 

As Yin starts his USC Iovine and Young Academy journey, he’s more than ready to develop the skills to “make any idea come true.” And the freshman is full of them already – from a sneaker pop-up to a storytelling platform that connects young people. Find out more about his resale business, an interesting take on measuring cups, as well as his figure-skating past below. 

Tell us a little bit about your journey to IYA. What were you looking for in an undergraduate program?

While I was always fascinated by business in high school, I knew it'd be tough to thrive in the world today without technical skills. That's why it annoyed me when considering university majors. Do I pick engineering or business? I could "only choose one"... or so I thought … I quickly realized that this was exactly what I wanted. A degree that combines multiple disciplines – from technology to business innovation, all the way to design. Students grow into leaders with the most innovative minds and all the skills to make any idea come true. I jumped at this opportunity. Now ready to join the Academy with cohort 10, I can truly say that the stars aligned for me. 

What are you most looking forward to at IYA?

I'm most looking forward to spending the next four years with my IYA classmates. I've always envisioned students in the program to be motivated, creative, and sort of genius kids who have a desire to make a change in the world. Having attended the Academy orientation days, I've found this to be true. There are students who have single-handedly built startups, engineered products, and created beautiful artwork. I'm excited to learn from such fascinating individuals and grow along the way. 

What are three goals you want to accomplish during your time at IYA and/or USC?

Build up my people skills, public speaking, and storytelling.

Form meaningful connections that will last a lifetime.

Let's say you were miraculously provided $1,000,000 in seed funding tomorrow. What would you create?

Currently, I'm expanding my platform called Teenage Hurdles, a site that uses personal storytelling in the form of blog posts, forums, and podcasts to remind others that they're not alone. With the funding, I would input the money into marketing, site developers and monitors, a social media team, and reach out to more young people who have gone through not just the highs but also the lows so more unique stories and experiences could be shared. 

What is your proudest achievement to date?

My proudest achievement to date has been my sneaker pop-up store, which occurred for 2 weeks and had sales of over $12.7k. With the primary purpose of this venture being to grow our brand's name (kickd.out), my business partner and I found ourselves successful with 4k new followers and potential customers. From accounting sales to writing legal contracts, we single-handedly built this together in about 10 days.

Describe one thing most people don't know about you.

Until ninth grade, I had a second life of figure skating. Every morning I'd wake up at 5 am to go to the rink before school and go back in after school. I even moved to Colorado USA for a brief period of my childhood just for skating. I eventually won an Australian national title at a junior level. 

What is one skill/thing that you learned during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic showed me firsthand how a change in the global economy directly impacts consumers and businesses. With everyone fearing the accessibility of money, sales of non-essential items such as sneakers went down. Having run a sneaker reselling business, I was certainly impacted. Analyzing trends and heeding advice, I learned to capitalize on the dip in sneaker prices, especially those that steadily held value across time. While other sellers "panic sold" their pairs, I reached into my savings to purchase them. Holding trust in my decisions, I eventually saw the market value of these shoes go up. This enabled me to make a solid profit. 

If you could be any kitchen appliance, what would you be and why?

I'd be a measuring cup set. While I do like to make things perfect, I understand that a cup filled a little over or under is fine. An executed final product, which will be decent every time, is always better than an uncooked mixture when the deadline hits.

What do you like to do/watch/read during your downtime?

In my downtime, I like to shoot hoops with mates, go to the gym, listen to podcasts, record podcasts (shoutout Teenage Hurdles), visit the beach, journal, and have chats with friends and family about everything, from life goals to awkward moments I had that day at school. Currently, I'm reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight and Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty and watching Breaking Bad and Suits. 

What do you consider the most impactful invention in history and why?

I would consider smartphones as the most impactful invention in history as it has transformed how we attack daily life. While it does improve the ease of communication and productivity in work/school, it has also made issues such as mental health and social anxiety much worse. It's almost impossible to not see a smartphone in sight both at home and outside. 

What would the title of your autobiography be?

As Henry Si Han Yin starts his USC Iovine and Young Academy journey, he’s more than ready to develop the skills to “make any idea come true.” And the freshman is full of them already – from a sneaker pop-up to a storytelling platform that connects young people. Find out more about his resale business, an interesting take on measuring cups, as well as his figure-skating past below.

Fresh Encounters: Henry Si Han Yin