Manyaqi Wang graduated from Lexington Christian Academy in 2016. She then attended Boston College where she graduated with a degree in philosophy in 2020. At Boston College, Manyaqi served as Executive Board Member for the school’s Fashion Club. She launched an online clothing company, Phoebe Jon during her undergrad. She now runs the company full-time while pursuing an MBA from Boston College.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO LCA? TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
I attended LCA as an international student first staying at a homestay and then moving into the dorm. It was difficult at first with the cultural shock as I had a hard time getting the jokes and cultural references. Over time, I made friends through sports and extracurricular activities and started to enjoy the authentic LCA experience.
WHAT ACTIVITIES WERE YOU INVOLVED IN WHILE AT LCA?
I tried out Lacrosse for the first time in 10th grade and was lucky enough to be part of the varsity team as a senior. I also participated in Chorale and Chamber Singers, ran the LCA Cultural Show, and served as the International Student Prefect.
TELL US ABOUT STARTING YOUR CLOTHING COMPANY, PHOEBE JON!
Created for the office and everyday life, Phoebe Jon offers simple, chic and comfy workwear with refined size and fit offerings. I had the idea of the brand junior year in college and participated in startup accelerators senior year to further develop the idea. I won grants from the Strakosch Venture Competition and was awarded 2020 Top 25 U.S. Student Entrepreneur by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Since graduating from college in May of 2020, I have worked on Phoebe Jon full-time and launched Monica Cuffed pants with adjustable leg lengths. I will be attending Boston College MBA in September while building my startup. I hope to offer more classic everyday pant style with extended sizes and fits to empower women in the workspace.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE TOP REQUIREMENTS FOR SOMEONE ENTERING YOUR LINE OF WORK?
Passion and perseverance are very important qualities that sustain an entrepreneur to push through at the low. A healthy dose of risk tolerance is also common among founders.
IF YOU COULD OFFER JUST ONE PIECE OF CAREER ADVICE TO CURRENT LCA STUDENTS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Explore your passion as much as you can while you are in high school and college. It feels way better to make a living out of things that you love.