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Meet JSOM Student Ivy Nguyen
Ivy Nguyen is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Global Business with a minor in finance at the Naveen Jindal School of Managementand she is expected to graduate in December 2024.
Nguyen is a recipient of the Jefflyn Williamson Scholarship and she made the dean’s list in 2021 and 2022.
Coming to UT Dallas and Choosing Global Business
For Nguyen, coming to UT Dallas meant choosing a respected institution with her major of interest close to home.
“Part of why I chose UTD was the reputation of the business school,” she said. “I know that JSOM is a pretty good school for business and that’s what I really wanted to do, especially for global business since a lot of other schools don’t offer it.”
The global business major encourages students to have a cross-cultural mindset as they prepare to enter an international workforce, and that mission resonated with Nguyen.
“Understanding other cultures, languages — just all the different types of people and the business we’re going to do with them,” she said. “I had a really strong background in this, like understanding different cultures and how they mesh together because I’m Vietnamese American and I took Spanish for six years. I really wanted to do global business to use my strengths.”
Nguyen eagerly anticipates exploring the international business space and learning more about cultures worldwide.
“I really just want to kind of step up and go onto this global stage,” she said.
Involved on Campus
Nguyen has enjoyed being involved with aKDPhi, an international Asian-interest sorority.
“I’ve helped with a lot of the events that we’ve had, including creating performances for Multicultural Greek Council Showcase or coordinating with alumni for them to come out and have professional workshops where they can talk to our current undergrad house and talk about life, postgrad and stuff like that,” she said. “I also do go out to a lot of the Greek life events as well, like fundraisers or little events they have.”
As a commuter, Nguyen realizes that her campus experience might look different from that of the students who live on campus.
“If you do spend your time on campus, you do get a little bit more involved than if you’re a commuter,” she said. “But commuter life can be really fulfilling too.”
Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Success
Feeling motivated to consistently attend class in person has been a challenge for Nguyen in the past.
“I’m not too close to school and so a lot of times getting ready to go to campus is kind of out of my way,” she said. “So I would just learn on my own at home, but I’ve been on top of it this semester.”
In addition to her classes, Nguyen works part-time as a junior associate for Fisher Investments.
“I’m really happy to have the job that I do because this is my first corporate professional experience that I had and its actually my first job ever,” she said. “I think it’s giving me great experience — like I’m really putting what I learned in school into a real-life setting. It makes me feel really accomplished.”
Influential Teachers
Nguyen says professor Matt Polze, a professor of instruction in the Jindal School’s Accounting Area and an associate dean and director of the Davidson Management Honors Program, has been instrumental in reigniting her passion to learn and getting her interested in business law.
“I really did enjoy his class and I’ve been a little more open-minded since his class,” she said.
Advice for Fellow Students and International Experiences
One of the requirements for global business majors is the international experience, which Nguyen said is one of the most fulfilling experiences to lean into.
“Enjoy what global business has to bring to you,” she said. “One of the requirements is to study abroad, and it might seem like a lot of work, it definitely is. But it’s a requirement for a reason and it’s really special what it gives to you. Little experiences like those contribute a lot. They give you a lot to learn. I’m forever grateful that this was a requirement because I know if it wasn’t a requirement I don’t think I would have done it.”
Nguyen fulfilled her international experience requirement with a JSOM-led trip course to Taiwan.
“We visited a lot of local businesses, and I befriended a lot of college students over there,” she said. “We still keep in touch. It was a really great experience, just kind of learning the local culture of Taiwan and visiting businesses so I actually understood how they operated in Taiwan. And being able to come out with more friends! I think that was my favorite part.”
Looking to the Future
Nguyen wants to continue exploring the world and all it has to offer.
“Since global business is so broad, I decided to minor in finance because I think I’m good with numbers,” she said. “I’m trying to go somewhere down the finance path for that. I would like to travel for my work.”
As for the next steps on her professional journey, Nguyen is open to the possibilities. In her current job at Fisher Investments, she enjoys learning about herself and discovering where her aspirations might lie.
“I’m hoping with Fisher, it kind of helps me see more of my strengths and then helps me decide where I want to go,” she said.
