Rebecca Tong

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“Passionate about improving lives; resilient, thriving on challenges and making a meaningful impact.”

Hometown: Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Fun fact about yourself: I have a passion for learning new languages and immersing myself in the cultures of their respective countries. In college, I learned German and spent three weeks exploring Germany on my own. I’ve also achieved a DELE B1 certification in Spanish and am planning to embark on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in two years. Mandarin is my native language, and I’m currently studying in the U.S., where I use English daily. Two years ago, I began learning Japanese and made a trip to Kyoto. Now, I’m learning French with plans to revisit Paris and experience the city through the lens of its native language.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

Kaohsiung Medical University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, outpatient pharmacist and quality improvement project lead

 

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis

Where will you be working after graduation? Seeking roles in operational excellence and quality improvement within hospital settings.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Asian Business Club president
• Volunteer project lead for American Red Cross Facility Assessment and Strategy Development
• Student Spotlight: Nominated by the Student Engagement Program for outstanding contributions and leadership within the student community.
• Kenan Kudos: For exemplifying exceptional leadership as co-president at ABC, significantly contributing to the success of Carolina Casual through dedicated efforts and fostering a positive team environment.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Leading the American Red Cross Facility Assessment and Strategy Development project. The project’s impact in empowering local leaders to strategically utilize facilities and resources was transformative. I am proud of my team’s evolution from forming-to-performing, characterized by trust, open-mindedness, respect, and courage. I am also grateful for the opportunity to lead and learn simultaneously, building stakeholder trust and taking initiative to approach challenges innovatively.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I led several cross-departmental process improvement projects that significantly enhanced healthcare delivery. More than the tangible impacts, I am most proud of how these projects cultivated a patient-centric culture and a team commitment to excellence. This included engaging with front-line nurses and advocating a sustainable shift towards a Kaizen mindset across the hospital. This transformation was deeply rewarding and reinforced my passion for using lean methodologies to drive meaningful healthcare advancements.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose UNC Kenan-Flagler specifically for its robust expertise in healthcare management. The program’s strong focus on this sector offered me direct access to top-notch mentorship from healthcare professionals and an immersive learning environment tailored to my career goals in hospital operations and quality improvement. This specialized training has equipped me with the necessary tools and insights to lead with innovation and empathy in the healthcare industry, aligning perfectly with my commitment to lifelong learning and making a meaningful impact in healthcare.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor is Dr. Ali K. Parlakturk. Professor Parlakturk uniquely blends deep expertise with a humble approach to teaching, making complex statistics and operations management both accessible and engaging. He emphasizes data-driven decision-making, which has reshaped how I approach problems in my professional life. His patience and willingness to explain concepts in multiple ways ensured that I truly grasped the material. Professor Parlakturk’s passion for his subject ignited my own love for data and operations, making his classes not only educational but truly transformative.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Improvisation taught by Professor Greg Hohn. He challenged me to be bold and authentic, enhancing my creativity and confidence in unfamiliar scenarios.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA event at business school has been the Blue Cup, an annual sports competition with Duke that fosters both community and competitive spirit among students. This event begins weeks before the actual competition, where peers come together to form teams, dedicating time to practice and perfect their strategies. The camaraderie developed during these practices showcases the essence of our school’s collaborative spirit.

The Blue Cup is a true embodiment of unity and sportsmanship within our community. This tradition goes beyond just playing sports; it reinforces our commitment to supporting one another, reflecting the school’s values of teamwork and mutual respect.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Looking back on my MBA experience, I would focus more on prioritizing commitments across academics, club leadership, project management, and hobbies like salsa and rock climbing. This would maximize my impact in each area, ensuring dedicated time for self-care and clearer delegation within leadership roles, ultimately enhancing my overall effectiveness and well-being.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The myth of the Old Well’s is that if you sip from it on the first day of classes it will bring you good luck. Despite not being able to experience that initially because it was under renovation to improve its accessibility, my strong start and the community’s resilience demonstrated that our strength comes from our collective spirit, not just traditions.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? The genuine warmth of the people and the natural beauty of the area.

What movie or television show best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? Lie to Me might initially appear distant from typical business contexts, focusing on detecting deception through micro-expressions in criminal investigations. However, its core lessons about understanding underlying emotions and motivations are incredibly pertinent to the business world. In business, much like in the show, the ability to accurately read people’s non-verbal cues can be critical during negotiations, team management, and client relations. The series highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence—recognizing the feelings behind the facades people present. This understanding fosters more effective communication, builds trust, and facilitates conflict resolution in professional settings.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? One significant integration of AI into our MBA curriculum is the course titled Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Business. This course offers a deep dive into the practical and strategic applications of AI and data science within various business contexts. Through the course, we engaged with advanced tools and platforms like Vercel, Pinecone, and GitHub to develop AI-driven projects such as chatbots, providing hands-on experience in leveraging AI technologies to solve real-world business challenges.

AI is not just a technological tool, but a strategic enhancer, crucial for optimizing operations and driving innovation. It underscored the importance of maintaining ethical standards and human oversight to ensure fairness and transparency in AI applications. The necessity for creativity in deploying AI solutions, reinforcing that human innovative thinking must guide AI’s use in solving complex business challenges.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Dalia Namak for her relentless pursuit of knowledge and her ability to inspire and uplift everyone around her with genuine empathy and insight.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Establish a pioneering, affordable healthcare community for seniors in Taiwan, blending modern technology and traditional care practices.
2. Master three additional languages to deepen cultural understanding and foster international collaboration in my professional endeavors.

What made Rebecca Tong such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“I have had the privilege of working closely with Rebecca Tong and I can confidently say that she is one of the most genuine and authentic individuals I have ever met. Rebecca exemplifies the qualities of an innovative collaborator and servant leader, making her an indispensable member of UNC Kenan-Flagler. Her journey from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to pursuing an MBA in the U.S. is marked by resilience, passion and a commitment to making a meaningful impact.

One of the most inspiring aspects of Rebecca’s leadership is her work on the American Red Cross Facility Assessment and Strategy Development project to empower local leaders to strategically utilize facilities and resources to transform the way the organization operates. Working directly with the COO of the American Red Cross for the North Carolina Region, she and her team addressed the challenge of managing excess and underutilized assets within the American Red Cross to reduce strain on critical services and ensure resources are used efficiently. The project created a decision-support dashboard for regional leaders to make informed decisions that support the organization’s mission and operational goals without disrupting service cycles. Its impact is significant as it enhances the American Red Cross’s ability to manage its assets effectively, ensuring donor dollars are stretched farther and critical services are maintained at high quality.

Rebecca’s ability to build trust, foster open-mindedness and approach challenges innovatively was instrumental in the Red Cross project’s success. As she has led the team, I witnessed firsthand how she brought out the best in everyone. Rebecca has a unique talent for recognizing and nurturing the strengths of those around her, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. Her ability to respectfully advocate for her team and find the silver lining in every challenge is truly remarkable.

Rebecca’s approach to leadership is characterized by her genuine care for people. She embraces each person for who they are, fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect. Her ability to inspire and motivate her peers is unparalleled, and she consistently leads by example, demonstrating resilience and a positive attitude even in the face of adversity.

Working alongside Rebecca has been an honor. Her dedication to improving lives and her unwavering commitment to excellence make her an invaluable asset to any team. She embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation, always striving to make a meaningful impact.

Rebecca is a shining example of the spirit and potential of business. Her dedication to improving lives, her resilience, and her ability to inspire and uplift those around her make her a deserving candidate for Poets & Quants’ MBAs To Watch of 2025.”

Beth Hwang
Associate Director of the Vetter Dean’s Fellows Program
UNC Kenan-Flagler

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2025

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