Phoebe Warren
Class of 2019
Hometown: Williamsburg, VA
Undergraduate University: William & Mary
Class Year: 2017
Major/Minor: Economics/Classical Studies
Employer: Capital One
Position: CODA Associate/Software Engineer
What appealed to you about William & Mary's program?
Successful business analysts need to be both great problem solvers and effective storytellers, which is why the MSBA program at William & Mary stood out to me. I thought that the Raymond A. Mason School of Business would allow me to strengthen both my analytical and communication abilities. The courses provide students with not only the ability to analyze data but also the ability to effectively communicate those findings through presentations and reports. I wanted to learn how to program and how to use technical modeling software, but I also wanted to have the critical thinking skills necessary to recommend a course of action.
Discuss some of the highlights that you enjoyed in the program.
I enjoyed my MSBA experience both inside and outside of the classroom. I learned so much in that one year and gained proficiency in Python, R, SQL, and Scala. Additionally, the professors and career advisors genuinely want students to succeed. There was also a sense of community among the MSBA students. We formed intramural sports teams, attended trivia nights, and really got to know each other outside of a classroom setting.
How was your employment search?
My employment search lasted about two months. In September, I attended the Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing (GHC) after learning about it through the MSBA program. Being at a conference with thousands of women who work in tech was an incredible experience. There were many networking opportunities, software demos, and, most importantly for me, a career fair where employers conducted on-site interviews. I arrived back from GHC with one job offer and one pending interview, which turned into an offer for my job at Capital One.
How do you plan to be an Agent of Change with your MSBA degree?
I never took any computer science classes during my undergraduate years, but thanks to the MSBA program, GHC, and CODA, I am working as a software engineer. Besides the coding, I look forward to using the critical thinking and presentation skills I gained in the MSBA program. I want to show other liberal arts majors that it's possible to study and get a career in a technical field.
