User:Coreyhcooper/Joey Wat Early Life

Early life and education
Wat was born on June 26, 1971 in a poor neighborhood near Fuzhou, China. Wat's family moved to Hong Kong circa 1980. Wat worked nights to support her family, while going to school during the day. She worked at a factory that created plastic flower arrangements starting at age 9 and also worked as a waitress from ages 15-18. She graduated third in her class in high school and won the Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award.

After high school, Wat attended the University of Hong Kong, where she studied development economics. After graduating with first-class honors in 1994, she returned to her hometown in Fuzhou. She saw that the area had prospered due to private investment. She decided to go into business, initially working at AT Kearney, a business consultancy. Then, she moved to the United States to attend the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, where she earned a Master's in Business Administration. 