Molly Applegate
Class of 2018
Hometown: Toms River, NJ
Undergraduate University: William & Mary
Class Year: 2017
Major/Minor: Kinesiology
Employer: Deloitte
Position: Data Analyst
Tell me about your transition from being an undergraduate to a graduate student.
They were really welcoming and were really helpful in terms of guiding me through the process of becoming a student in the business school. The business world was something that was completely and totally new to me at the time. The first three weeks were really intensive but gave me a really good introduction into what to expect. I remember feeling very welcomed and immersed immediately into the MSBA program.
How was your experience working with faculty and fellow classmates?
The students and teachers I was able to work with were some of the most intelligent and well-rounded people I've ever met in my life. Something that was really unique about the program was if I ever asked for help or was struggling with something, I could turn to any person in the program or any faculty member, and they were willing to take a few minutes to work with me and help me learn. We did a lot of group projects that were great because so many people brought different backgrounds and skill sets. When we put them together, we would create really interesting ideas, projects, and new ways of thinking.
How did you balance your responsibilities as a Student-Athlete with program requirements and finding a job?
As a student-athlete, I had a pretty busy schedule. I was on the road a lot, so I missed a lot of my classes, and I had a hard time scheduling job interviews. A lot of companies come to campus for the first interview, and a lot of times, they want you to come to their offices for the second interview, whether it was in Washington, D.C., or Richmond. It was a really big hurdle and something that I was fearful would be prohibitive of me getting a job. But when I explained my situation to a lot of companies and showed that I was flexible to alternative options like phone interviews or Skype interviews, they took interest in me. I signed with Deloitte in November of the year I was in the program.
How would you describe the William & Mary MSBA program to a prospective student?
It is one of the best decisions that I've made. It helped me grow as a person both intellectually and day-to-day in my skill sets. It helped to open my eyes to so many new possibilities that I wouldn't have known existed if I wasn't given the opportunity to go through the MSBA program. One of the greatest takeaways is just the people. They bring together a whole bunch of like-minded people from a bunch of different backgrounds, and that exposure is just something you can't place a value on.
