Columbia GS Alumnus Takes on the Climb of a Lifetime

At 18 years-old, Nick Wu ‘23GS graduated high school with no idea what he wanted to do with his life. Relatable, right? Rather than follow the well-trod path to college, Wu decided to start working and found a job in healthcare that also allowed him space to explore his interests, from film and reading, to traveling and climbing. 

Wu’s passion for climbing specifically grew from a desire to support his own health. “Working in hospital billing,” he shared, “I saw a kind of job that promoted a sedentary lifestyle and I knew I didn’t want that for myself.” Wu cultivated a commitment to fitness which evolved into hiking, backpacking, and eventually climbing. He recalled spending his weekends lead climbing at Rumney in the White Mountains, backpacking along the Appalachian trail, and completing a climb of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Climbing became a powerful avenue for Wu’s self-understanding and growth, one he continues to tap into today. “Nature has its own way of revealing what people need to see the most,” he said, such as “how to reframe doubt in my mind, and how to find clarity in the face of stressful situations.” Wu noted that the generative space climbing gave him was particularly important as he came into himself and discovered his priorities as a young person.

“One of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done is just spending time with myself,” he said. “At that time, I felt so overwhelmed with everything and I’d never actually taken the time to listen to myself. I think I found that ability through a lens of traveling as well as hiking and climbing, pushing my limitations. I believe the person who leaves on a journey and the person who returns are two entirely different people.”

Years later, Wu’s decision to follow his gut and take the road less traveled has paid off with dividends. A recent February 2023 graduate of Columbia GS, Wu is passionately pursuing a career in medical technology, drawing on his early experiences working as a health insurance analyst. Even as a young professional, Wu said he noticed a myriad of ingrained issues in how healthcare databases and technology operated, from out-of-date programming to unsustainable recording practices. Now, Wu is working to create solutions to these longstanding problems. 

Post-graduation, Wu is joining Nuance, a division of Microsoft’s AI and healthcare sector, as a software engineer. His work will focus on harnessing AI, voice recognition, and ambient clinical intelligence to replace medical documentation tasks that healthcare professionals have traditionally had to do by hand. Wu noted that this transcription work is one of the top sources of clinician burnout, and he expressed his excitement to be working on technology with the potential to support medical professionals and improve the physician-patient experience, calling this professional venture “one of the top places I could have hoped for.”

Wu’s climbing endeavors have also blossomed into an avid pursuit, one which will reach a new high point (literally!) this February when he scales Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the Americas. Aconcagua represents a significant challenge, even for a climber with as much experience as Wu. “This is, what I would consider, the first mountaineering expedition I’ve been on,” said Wu, “and in some senses it’s a buildup from everything I’ve been doing for the past eight years.” With Aconcagua at over 20,000 feet above sea level, the climb will be a 20-day expedition as Wu slowly scales the mountain to allow enough time for his body to acclimate to the enhanced elevation. The daunting nature, and even the danger, of the climb is part of the appeal to Wu though. “Aconcagua is known as the most deadly mountain inside the Americas. If I’m not a little bit afraid of that, then…” he said with a laugh. “But I just feel alive in those moments.” 

However, Wu isn’t simply throwing himself into this risky adventure. He’s been training for months for the climb, which involves a strict diet and exercise routine, all while completing his final semester at GS. Wu has also been working alongside fellow student Marin Minamiya '24GS, the youngest person ever to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, scaling the highest peaks on seven continents and skiing to the North and South Poles. Wu and Minamiya’s friendship exemplifies the power of the GS community to connect extraordinary individuals in mutually enriching ways. They met when Minamiya was a new student taking on her first challenging computer science course, and Wu as a computer science major further into his time at GS served as something of an academic mentor to Minamiya. Meanwhile, Minamiya has drawn on her fountain of professional experience and knowledge to support Wu in his climbing goals. “I think among GS there’s a ‘we all succeed together’ kind of mentality,” Wu shared. “You help each other out.”

Reflecting on his time at GS, and looking ahead to his Aconcagua climb and future career pursuits, Wu noted that running towards the thing that scares you is a common thread in his journey. Thinking back to when he chose to come to GS, Wu remembered that the deciding factor which pushed him to choose Columbia was that of the options he had, Columbia felt the most daunting. “I tell myself that if I’m not at least somewhat afraid of the things I’m doing, I’m not doing the right things,” shared Wu. It’s a bold perspective, but one that has carried Wu far, and is set to take him to new heights this year on Aconcagua, and undoubtedly beyond.