Vicky Fam

UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business

“Salty sailor navigating from sea to corporate shores, balancing motherhood and a thriving career.”

Hometown: Utica, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: I joined the Navy despite a huge propensity for motion sickness—I’ve gotten seasick on everything from barges to cruise ships.

Undergraduate School and Major: Cornell University: BS, Biological Sciences

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: United States Navy: Surface Warfare Officer

Berkeley Haas is founded on four Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. Which principle resonates most with you and why? Confidence Without Attitude resonates deeply with me. I have had the privilege of working with great leaders that exemplify this principle and use it to inspire the next generation. John, my senior manager, imparted on me the wisdom of “good dudesmanship”—to always help others and be a good person because there is no reason not to be. From Stephanie, my advisor, I learned that women are just as capable as their male counterparts, especially in engineering. Their examples have shown me the power of leading with confidence while maintaining humility and respect. I am forever grateful for the lessons they have imparted. Thanks, John! Thanks, Stephanie!

What excites you about earning your MBA in the Bay Area? The Bay Area is a melting pot of diversity and culture, coupled with rich innovation (and really great food). It is an ideal location for those looking to push boundaries and thrive in a leading business center. I am excited to join this community of inspirational leaders and learn from the best.

On a personal note, I decided to leave my life at sea behind to spend more time with my family. I want to expose my toddler to the world, and the Bay Area is the perfect microcosm for it. Just this summer, my daughter attended the renowned Stern Grove Festival, where she danced to the San Francisco Symphony playing live! Now, she is an avid fan of Mozart.

What was the key part of Berkeley Haas’ MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I am particularly excited about the “Haas@Work” Applied Innovation course, which allows students to collaborate with real companies to engage in real business challenges. The practicality of experiential learning is important to me, as I believe that learning is a two-fold process: first, grasping the fundamentals, and second, applying that knowledge to solve real-world problems.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Berkeley Haas? Coming from a family of immigrants, I have always admired my parents’ hard work and determination, which have paved the way for my success. As the first person in my immediate family to attend graduate school, I aspire to be the support for others with a similar background in reaching their goals. I am excited to join diverse affinity clubs at Haas, such as First Gen at Haas and Haas Veterans Club, to give back to the community that has led me here to Haas and to help others navigate their own journeys.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After a month-long training out at sea, our ships came back early to avoid a huge storm. High winds prevented the use of cranes to move power cables that were hundreds of pounds, so we were unable to connect to shore power. Unfortunately, this meant that over 100 crew members were unable to go home to their families, whom they had not seen in weeks, in order to keep the ship’s engineering plant running.

I requested a small working party from my immediate supervisor for my crazy idea to move the cables without a crane. To my surprise, he recruited the entire ship to help. Three hundred sailors came together as one, proving to me the importance of teamwork. This spirit of camaraderie not only allowed the sailors to return to their families, but also highlighted the strength of collective effort and reinforced the value of unity and “good dudesmanship” in overcoming even the toughest challenges.

At this point, what do you hope to do after graduation? Strategy consulting or management.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Berkeley Haas’ MBA program? Be authentic! Understand your personal story, and deeply reflect on your motivations for pursuing an MBA and why Berkeley Haas is the right fit for you. There isn’t a “right” answer—what matters most is conveying who you are and what drives you. Highlight any overlap between your values and Haas’ Defining Principles to demonstrate strong fit!

DON’T MISS: MEET THE BERKELEY HAAS MBA CLASS OF 2026