Iris Huixian Wang, MSA'17, MBA'17
Kelley Biz Blog: What are your plans after graduation?
Iris: I will start work at EY in September.
Kelley Biz Blog: Why did you choose the Kelley School at IUPUI?
Iris: When I first moved to Indianapolis from Shanghai, I was telling my host family how passionate I was about business, so they immediately recommended the Kelley School of Business to me.
When I looked online, I found this amazing program which is a dual masters degree – an MBA and an MSA. I never knew I could get two masters degrees. I don’t think many other schools offer this dual masters degree.
Throughout the dual degree program, there were a lot of courses that were transferable: What I learned from my MBA courses could apply to some of the classes in my MSA program, and vice versa. The combination of these two majors works perfectly for me.
Also - the Kelley School has such a large network of alumni that I believe you can network with and learn from. When I interviewed with EY – of four interviewers, at least two of them graduated from the MSA program at Kelley.
Kelley Biz Blog: Do you have a moment that stands out to you as you look back at your journey?
Iris: There are many, but the student organizations I was involved with definitely stand out. For example, KIMWA, the Kelley Indianapolis Women's MBA Association, is growing very fast. I'm so thankful to have great professors like Kim Saxton, Cathy Bonser-Neal, and other women professors involved with KIMWA, who are very supportive and empower the young female MBA students to get together and do some great things and inspire each other. I think that’s really important.
Also, as an international student, I found all of the faculty and staff were very supportive and helped me to find all the opportunities I could. I really felt included. The faculty, staff and students took care of the international students in ways that went beyond my expectations. I am very thankful for that.
For example, Susan Cauble, the director of the Graduate Accounting Programs, has been an amazing female role model for me. As international students, there may be cultural or language barriers, and Susan was so supportive and showed me opportunities I would have never known existed.
Kelley Biz Blog: Do you have any advice for current students as you look to graduate in May?
Iris: Take advantage of all the resources our school offers. The first one I always say is the Kelley Career Services Office. They help you create a resume, and they can connect you with many companies as you pursue a business career.
Also: get involved in student organizations. And, take advantage of all the different programs offered through your school. For example, the study abroad trips: I would highly recommend those. They were eye-opening experiences.
And lastly, I would tell students to learn as much as you can from your professors: They have such great knowledge in their field. They will mentor you and coach you to help you through your courses and as you begin your professional career.