Full-time MBA | Anh Nguyen

Saigon Shack is one of my favorite places to eat. It is Vietnamese food just like my mom used to make it, and it's great to get great Vietnamese food when I'm so far from my family in California.

My favorite class so far has been Strategy, taught by Sonia Marciano. The lessons I learned in this class flipped how I think about business decision-making entirely and gave me new frameworks to think about strategy, not only in business but also in life. It was also the kind of class where we got to know Professor Marciano through the endearing stories about raising her daughter.

I was in Stern Consulting Corps during my second semester at Stern. It has really allowed me to apply what I was learning in the classroom to a real project with a real client, under the supervision of a real life consultant. Knowing that I hadn't done consulting before, it was a great way to try out a new skillset in an atmosphere where I could fail without falling too hard.

Earlier this year, Sallie Krawcheck (CEO and Co-Founder, Ellevest) spoke to our class about her time in the investment advisory business, her struggles as a woman, and how she ultimately came up on top, winning numerous accolades for her ability to stand for her beliefs in the face of losing large sums of money and her job. It was inspiring to see her be so steadfast in her morals, and I think it showed me that business isn't just about making money and that it sometimes pays off to do the right thing.

The highlight of my time at Stern has been the Block system. I was randomly assigned to Block 5, and immediately, I had a group of 70 best friends at school that made classes, recruiting, and moving to NYC so much easier and so much more fun. To this day, I fully expect some of my block-mates to be members of my wedding party.

One of the most valuable things about going to school in NYC is the access to the businesses that are here. I didn't know how valuable that would be until I actually got to campus. I've been able to do so many experiential learning classes and even took a semester internship that gave me experience that I needed to pivot successfully into consulting and strategy work. It was been an incredible experience that I don't think I could have gotten anywhere else.

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