Emily Siu

Program: MBA

Hometown: Los Angeles

Fun Fact About Yourself: My family pet is a turtle who is 26 years old!

Undergraduate School and Major:

University of California, Davis – Bachelor of Arts in Women & Gender Studies, African and African-American Studies

Columbia University in the City of New York – Master of Science in Social Work – Master of International Affairs

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: 

Gender-based Violence Area of Responsibility (United Nations Population Fund) – GBV in Emergencies Specialist (Monitoring and Evaluation, Risk Mitigation)

What were some of the key motivating factors behind pursing your MBA, and why did this seem like the right time for you?

I was seeking a way to expand my skill sets in various areas that an MBA includes, like accounting and data analytics. This program seemed like a perfect fit for me so I can continue working. My son is a huge motivator and I’m hoping that with this degree I will be well equipped to pursue better career opportunities that make sense for us.

When you think of your school, what is the first word that comes to mind and why?

Modern. I do not know of many other graduate level programs that are run in the same way as MBA. The program is run in a way that is very sensitive to the needs of today, better equipping students to respond to the current demands. MBAs are everywhere, but it is vital that a good program knows well how to set its graduates apart.

What are one or two key aspects of this MBA program that stood out among the others, and why were they so important to you?

Flexibility. The ability to study while working is huge. I cannot deny that even with the flexibility it has been extremely difficult to keep up, amidst single parenting, caretaking for my parents and working. But the flexibility has made a world of a difference in giving me the luxury of time when I lead a life that is very short on it in general.

What course were you/are you most interested in taking coming into the program and why?

Supply chain and operations. It is something that I understand very little on, but knowledge of it would help me tremendously in growing my understanding of how this works. Supply chain is often an issue in the humanitarian sector, we talk about where bottlenecks for supplies can happen, the need to pre-position, etc. I would like to gain a deeper knowledge of this in general and how it works.