Lydia Troxell

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“I am enthusiastic, curious, perceptive, intuitive, and an optimistic person who loves connecting with others.”

Hometown: Purcellville, Virginia

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have traveled to 34 states, 8 countries, and have visited 13 national parks; I love to hike, rock climb, kayak, and ski!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of South Carolina – Finance and Real Estate

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Freddie Mac – Accounting Associate II

What excites you most about studying in Washington, DC? I have been living in Arlington, Virginia, since 2022 and absolutely love the DC area! There are so many incredible restaurants, museums, markets, and endless activities happening in the city. I’m excited to have the opportunity to further explore the Georgetown community and look at the city through a new lens as a student!

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Georgetown McDonough’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? One key aspect of the MBA program that drew me to Georgetown McDonough is the school’s core value of Cura Personalis or “care of the whole person”. This value is extremely evident in every professor and student that I have met; it creates such a welcoming culture that has truly made me feel valued as an incoming student. I’m excited to be a part of such a wonderful university that cares so much for its students and values giving back to its local community.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Georgetown McDonough I am extremely excited to participate in the Global Business Experience that is offered to students in their second year! I think that traveling and gaining a deeper understanding of new cultures is one of the best ways to expand your perspective and grow both personally and professionally. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to study abroad and work alongside executives from multinational organizations to address complex business problems.

Georgetown McDonough programming focuses heavily on instilling a global mindset. Why is exposure to global diversity so critical to business success? Having a global mindset both in and outside of the workplace is extremely important for success. It allows you to analyze problems from different perspectives and better understand and connect with those around you. A global mindset is essential in today’s business landscape, and Georgetown sets students up for success by fostering a deeper understanding of our global society and creating a space for meaningful collaboration. During my time at Freddie Mac, one of my favorite aspects was having the opportunity to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and diverse perspectives. Much like Georgetown’s Full-time MBA Program, where 49% of students are international, Freddie Mac was similarly inclusive with 44% of the workforce being comprised of women and ethnically diverse individuals. I am excited to continue broadening my global mindset and learning alongside colleagues who can expose me to new ways of thinking.

When you think of Georgetown University, what word comes to mind? Why? The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Georgetown is “purpose.” This school has an incredibly strong foundation rooted in its Jesuit values and commitments to educating the whole person, providing service to others, and personal mission. I think this will be an incredible place for all of us as students to discover why we want to make a difference and how we can use our individual talents to do so.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: When I first started working at Freddie Mac, my team had recently assumed responsibility for the collateral pledge process, where we worked closely with seller/servicers to manage cash that was being held on our books. Initially, this process was solely managed by my supervisor, but within my first year at the company I was entrusted with taking on this task and seized the opportunity to streamline and enhance the process. I worked to make the process more transparent both internally and externally, restructured how we tracked interest and cash balances for our customers, and ensured the process had improved data metrics for internal reporting.

In addition to revamping the process, I created an audit-ready procedure from the ground up, which has since become a key part of team cross-training and operational consistency. Through this experience, I collaborated with multiple departments to refine how we process funds and clarified the process for both onboarding and offboarding customers which significantly improving coordination and service delivery. As the lead for this monthly process, I generated interest statements and served as the primary contact for 53 customers, overseeing approximately $77.8 million in cash. This initiative not only improved efficiency but also enhanced our team’s ability to support these clients with confidence and clarity.

What is your long-term career goal? Post-MBA, I aspire to take on a role that allows me to contribute to a mission that I wholeheartedly believe in and to make a significant impact on my community. I am passionate about affordable housing and hope to deepen my expertise in finance and real estate during my time at Georgetown. I strive to take advantage of every opportunity and resource that Georgetown has to offer and hope to fully immerse myself in this amazing community over the next two years. I hope to grow into a confident leader, connect with people from all over the globe, and ultimately provide meaningful change in the greater DC area.

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