Alex Truong
Class of 2022
Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Undergraduate University: Virginia Commonwealth University
Class Year: 2019
Major/Minor: Management Information Systems
Employer: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Position: Intermediate Analyst: Integrated Risk Management
Why pursue an MBA?
My first role working at the Fed was for the Chief Data Officer. I was her first hire, and as she looked to build our her data management team, I wanted to translate the information systems and programming skills I acquired during undergrad to my position. Initially, I thought about getting a graduate degree in statistics, but the CDO thought that was too quantitative. She suggested I look at an MBA to help develop my leadership skills and to learn how to better engage with the different business lines and formulate relationships with our stakeholders.
Why William & Mary?
I've lived in Virginia my whole life, so I'm familiar with William & Mary as a school. I was familiar with the program and the brand. I heard a lot of great things about the faculty from my friends who were students at William & Mary. And when I reached out to the program staff and spoke with Amy Blackburn, I had a wonderful conversation with her. She was polite and engaging, and it made me excited to apply.
What highlights did you experience during your time in the program?
The best experiences I had in the PTMBA program involved working with my colleagues on projects and deliverables. Some really great conversations bubbled out when we had to put our heads together to solve a problem or recall information that the professors discussed in class. Not only did it cement and expedite the learning process, it made it so much more exciting. Any product will be better when you have diverse thought and conversations among your team, and it was a great way to connect with my colleagues.
What impact has this degree had on your career?
I was very serious about pursuing my MBA, so in the end, my focus has always been on what I can learn and what I can experience that will enhance my perspective and awareness of things. I've combined some of the academic content and knowledge from class and brought it to work at the Fed. It's provided me with a broader perspective on how our organization operates, and I've found new ways to improve the work I do every day.
What advice can you offer prospective students about the PTMBA experience?
Pursue the PTMBA from the perspective where you can have a little fun because you're going to be in the program with people from so many different backgrounds and so many different industries. Everybody is just as ambitious as you are, and it's very easy to get lost in how hard you can work and prove yourself. Meet other people. Try to have fun with the work, with the conversations, with the content. If you can do that, you'll grow quickly and together with your peers.
