For years, there's been a stereotype that top student-athletes typically pursue careers in the sports industry after graduation. However, in its 50 years, Taiwan Tech has seen many athlete alumni succeed in diverse fields. Among them, Yi-Hua Peng, a 98-class Industrial Management graduate, is a senior engineer at Delta Electronics, while Shao-Hong Geng, a 103-class double major in Industrial Management and Finance, now works as a software engineer at TSMC. Both basketball athlete alumni mapped out cross-disciplinary learning and career planning early, charting unique career paths.

Yi-Hua Peng, who excelled in sports from a young age, joined Taiwan Tech after winning a high school league championship with Taipei Municipal Songshan Senior High School's sports class. Despite struggling with academics in his first year, he caught up quickly by seeking guidance from his peers.

Yi-Hua Peng, a 98-class Industrial Management graduate and senior engineer at Delta Electronics, believes in the athlete mindset of never giving up.

Having served as team captain in both high school and university basketball, he emphasizes the importance of perseverance and a willingness to try new things to create opportunities, especially in challenging situations. It was this belief that drove him to work tirelessly throughout his university years, setting an example for his teammates.

Yi-Hua Peng stated that the key trait of an athlete is never giving up.

Yi-Hua Peng believes that athletes are like blank slates when they enter university, facing a whole new world. University life is filled with unknowns, and through the process, one can discover their true interests. He emphasizes that everything we do now lays the foundation for our future. Complaining must stop, as the choices we make today will profoundly impact the results of tomorrow.

Similarly, Shao-Hong Geng also entered Taiwan Tech through his athletic achievements, having been in a sports class since junior high. Interestingly, his initial motivation for playing basketball was to boost his chances of getting into a better school.

Geng shares that during his first year, he struggled to keep up with his coursework. Fortunately, Taiwan Tech’s peer tutoring system helped him gradually catch up. Unlike many modern students who embrace a “laid-back” attitude, he spent most of his university years in the library and sports hall. To prepare for his exchange program to France in his junior year, he studied English until 11 PM every night, balancing academics and basketball. After returning from ESCE International Business School in Paris, he continued to work diligently, eventually receiving the Book Award in his senior year.

Shao-Hong Geng entered Taiwan Tech through his athletic achievements.

Shao-Hong Geng often shares with his juniors, “If you take away basketball, what do you have left?” He believes that student-athletes need to plan ahead and prepare for their future careers and lives five years down the line, to create opportunities for themselves. It was in his sophomore year that he discovered his interest in programming, and he worked hard to shift his focus, eventually pursuing a Master's degree at the Department of Information Management.

Shao-Hong Geng works at TSMC. The photo shows him leading TSMC to victory in the North, Central, and South Exchange Tournament Championship.

Both basketball athlete alumni hold Coach Yong-Hsiang Li of Taiwan Tech Men’s Basketball in high regard, with deep and meaningful memories of their time under his guidance. Shao-Hong  Geng describes Coach Li as highly disciplined and attentive to the players' academics, always approving leave requests for studying. This environment of discipline helped him avoid distractions and benefited him in many stages of his life.

Yi-Hua Peng recalls always referring to Coach Li as “Teacher” and remembers struggling with his shooting accuracy when he first entered Taiwan Tech. He often stayed after practice for extra shooting sessions. One day, “Teacher” shared that he would practice on his own after team sessions. Through relentless practice and self-discipline, he achieved shooting consistency. “Teacher” instilled in him the spirit of perseverance, which continues to serve him well in his career. He applies that same mentality at work, striving to do his best in every task, steadily accumulating progress toward his goals.