Xiaoyun Yang M.S. ’15 works in the operations department at Apple in Silicon Valley. She attributes her success to her studies at the Leavey School of Business. "I had a chance to dive into the finance world," Yang says, "learning about different subjects from good professors. The courses were very practical. They pushed you to your limits, taking a theory and trying to apply it practically. In most courses you had to complete a project, which meant rolling up your sleeves and working with  team members. It challenged your analytical skills and people skills, and for an international student like me, it was a good transition to the American business world.”

Also helping with that transition, she says, was the significant degree of career counseling and support from the University’s career office. "You really got a taste of what you need to do to get hired in your field. The career counselors did things like setting up career panels, teaching you how to use Linkedin, and showing how to prepare for a job interview.”

The MS Finance program, Yang says, “really prepared me in terms of speaking, presentation, communication, and understanding what’s happening in the business world. But what I really treasure most about it was the people I met — the professors and outstanding students. They were great people who helped me become better.”