Xingyue Sarah King

(I go by my middle name Sarah)

University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

“Loves Jesus, scrappy, always learning & growing, thrives in a little chaos, food enthusiast, world explorer.”

Hometown: Cary, North Carolina

Fun fact about yourself: During undergrad, I wanted to become a writer. I wrote a couple of short stories that got published in two different anthologies. I’m still hoping to publish my bestseller one day!

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with Highest Honors

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Asymchem, Inc. as Contracts Manager

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Wavestone (legacy Aspirant), as a Business Consulting Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? Wavestone, starting as Senior Analyst

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: …

1. Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) Elections Committee Member 2026 – Provided input on the elections process and potential candidates for the GPSG board for the next school year 2026-2027.

2. David Berg Center for Ethics: Diversity & Inclusion Fellow (Berg) – Student consultant working on market entry and digital skills for Binga women entrepreneurs.

3. Engagement Manager, Consulting Field Project (CFP) – Lead a team of student consultants in working with international construction company on joint venture governance.

4. Baylor Ethics Case Competition: Representative for Katz Business – Chosen by Katz to represent the school at the case competition during first semester of the MBA program. Did not place, but learned a lot about business presentation and storytelling.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Honestly, I feel like my biggest achievement is making it through and not compromising on my schoolwork or other extracurricular commitments despite a lot of health setbacks. I even had to get an ankle replacement surgery in the middle of last semester when I had two consulting project classes (CFP and Berg). I am proud that despite having to overcome physical pain and being behind in all my classes by several weeks, I was able to produce quality client deliverables and show up to client meetings prepared and in a professional manner.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I feel the proudest and most accomplished when I feel like I’ve made a lasting and positive impact on someone else (individual or organization). At the end of the day, cliché as it may sound, making the world a better place is one of the main motives for working (for myself personally, and as a philosophical view). I don’t think “it’s just business” is a good motto, where we reduce everything down to marginal return. If we just work for personal gain, the gain would only last for a few years, but if we are able to spread the goodness, then it becomes a domino effect that can reach more people and last beyond our lifetime.

There were a few standout moments that come to mind when I think about impact. One of those moments happened before my “career” began – when I was teaching English in Central Asia. One of my students emailed me afterwards to tell me that I inspired him to study abroad and widened his perspective on what’s possible for his own life trajectory.

Why did you choose this business school Besides being known as a great value (high ROI) school and having a comprehensive curriculum, Katz really stood out to me because of its experiential learning opportunities. I took advantage of the Consulting Field Project (CFP) and the Global Research Practicum (GRP) courses, which gave me hands-on experience and interaction with businesses that allowed me to practice book knowledge as well as soft skills in a fail-safe environment. In addition, since I am a joint-degree student with the School of Public and International Affairs, I know the GRP would also allow me to bridge the gap between the two degrees, providing a space to explore how international affairs and policy affect business and vise versa.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? This is a very difficult question to answer. Everyone knows the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” (with the student being the child). Well, I’ll put it in another analogy uniquely mine: picking a favorite professor is like picking your favorite tooth…you need at least most of them to chew! That said, during my time at Katz, I had a few professors with whom I took multiple courses, so naturally they stand out for me. Professor Tom Davis happens to be one of those. He was the faculty for one of the GRPs that I took as well as the professor for the CFP. He stands out for me not only because his classes were well-structured and relevant to my interests, but also because he provided mentorship outside of the classroom. I appreciated his honest feedback and guidance, especially in helping me see different ways to leadership and how to manage people.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? One of my favorite courses was Management of Strategic Alliances with Professor Ravi Madhavan. This course looked at strategic partnerships between companies outside of the M&A realm with a strong focus on how businesses are changing with technological changes and platform ecosystems. It was interesting to think about the psychological and social aspects of human relationships and apply them to business. I was able to take some of the insights – like joint venture management – and apply them as a student consultant for the CFP!

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I think this is at the topic of my mind because I am writing this on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but I love that Katz celebrates the Lunar New Year by hosting multiple meals across different (mostly) Chinese restaurants every year! I like this tradition for two reasons:

1) I love to eat good food, and it tastes better when someone else is paying.

2) It really reflects the inclusiveness of the Katz culture and how it celebrates the diversity within its school.

We have a lot of international students, which I believe is important to the longevity of the school and its programs. As I’ve learned from my Katz capstone (theme on innovation), diversity drives innovation and creative problem-solving!

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? This may sound contradictory, but I would take fewer classes and be more present in the moment! I packed my schedule to the brim, with the thinking of getting the most value for my investment from business school that I actually missed out on a lot of opportunities – experiences that would provide greater learning outside of the classroom. I was also always too tired to really appreciate all the small moments and even felt like I would have learned more deeply had I not tried to learn so widely.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? One of the case studies that we did for Strategic Alliances class was on the alliance between Tiffany Co. and Swatch Group was interesting and stuck with me. It was a case where Swatch and Tiffany created a joint venture to sell Tiffany watches with Swatch operations, but the relationship was cut short and ended up in arbitration. I think it really made me think about the strategic aspect of picking a business partner. It made me think beyond if assets are complementary, but if culture, brand image, and other “softer” aspects of business will work out. I think this really applies to a lot of things, like choosing where to work, how to build your career, and the relationships you commit your time.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Pittsburgh is so quirky and has so much history. I love how every corner and every street has a story (or multiple story), and that each of the buildings look different and has its own character. I’ve enjoyed learning about the importance of Pittsburgh and its global connections (sister city to Glasgow – where I was able to visit with a business class). I came from a very manicured, very controlled suburb in North Carolina – where living there can often feel suffocating if you don’t act just like everyone else – so Pittsburgh has been a breath of fresh air!

What business leader do you admire most? It is Warren Buffett because he has great intuition in business value, can make sound financial decisions without getting greedy, and is bold in taking risks. I admire that he has pledged to give so much of his wealth back as well.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Katz is definitely paying attention to AI and working AI into its programming. I know there AI classes that will be available starting next year. During my time, we have had panels discussing with alumni and various speakers how AI is changing their workplaces. We’ve had workshops as well where we learned how to use different AI platforms. The university has been providing students with paid access to some of the AI platforms, so we’re able to get familiar with them before we enter the workplace.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? There’s no way I can answer this question with one classmate. I will just say that I am really impressed by my international classmates in my cohort. They are all such motivated, hard workers and they have to overcome so many challenges – from visa problems to language and cultural barriers, and challenges of living far way from family! I know how hard it has to be from living in Central Asia for 2 years, so I applaud all of them.

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

1) Have measurable impact on a company or a team, whether that be saving the company $X due to innovative or creative problem solving or helping redirect the mission or vision.

2) Mentor someone and be able to see them achieve a major career goal.

What made Xingyue Sarah King such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Throughout her time at the University of Pittsburgh School of Business, Xingyue Sarah King has emerged as a versatile, tenacious changemaker who has successfully leveraged her well-rounded skill set to drive impact through all her endeavors. As she takes the next step in her career, she leaves behind a legacy of leadership, resilience, and a global mindset: all qualities that will undoubtedly propel her toward continued success.

Sarah is pursuing a joint Master of Business Administration and Master of Public and International Affairs – a rigorous program that spans two different graduate schools, all while maintaining a GPA of 3.94. Throughout her time at the School of Business, Sarah has sought multiple experience-based learning opportunities to expand her business knowledge. A highlight of this coursework includes serving as a Berg Center Fellow where she worked to create marketing and training plans to assist women entrepreneurs at the Binga Craft Center, a small marketplace in Zimbabwe, in their goal of successfully entering the US market. It’s these hands-on, globally minded pursuits that demonstrate not only Sarah’s academic excellence, but her ability to translate classroom learning into meaningful, real-world impact.

Ever the polymath, Sarah has been intentional in broadening her global perspective through a wide range of immersive international experiences. Examples include two travel research courses to Santiago, Chile, and Edinburgh, Scotland, where Sarah examined international business practices and strengthened her ability to navigate complex, multicultural environments. Additionally, Sarah is a Foreign Language and Areas Studies (FLAS) Fellow, a prestigious and competitive federal award that she leveraged to study Russian and complete the University of Pittsburgh’s Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies Certificate. At the time of writing, Sarah is also a semi-finalist for the CLS Critical Language Scholarship fellowship through the Department of State, which would allow her to study Russian through an 8-week intensive immersion.

Beyond these academic pursuits, Sarah has been intentional in crafting a holistic Graduate Business School experience through her achievements in the extracurricular space. Sarah completed both the Professional Pillars and the Inclusive Leadership co-curricular certificates to build her professional toolkit of business-related skills and work towards becoming a transformative leader in the workplace. Sarah also represented the University of Pittsburgh as a member of the Baylor Case Competition team in 2024, where her team demonstrated their expertise in business ethics. We would be remiss to focus solely on Sarah’s intellectual rigor, as her contributions to our community are equally noteworthy. Sarah is a familiar and engaged presence at social and cultural events, including annual Lunar New Year Dinners, and she extends her involvement beyond the School of Business by assisting the University Graduate and Professional Student Government’s election committee, supporting the broader University of Pittsburgh graduate community.

As illustrated here, Sarah is the true definition of a life-long learner, driven by curiosity and a genuine commitment to growing in ways that create lasting, positive impact. What’s perhaps even more impressive than any list of accomplishments provided here is Sarah’s perseverance and attitude toward her education. We must acknowledge that Sarah’s successes were hard fought as she navigated a variety of health-related issues throughout her journey both to and through graduate business school, most recently undergoing ankle-replacement surgery in the middle of an academic year all while still succeeding academically and participating in the school’s community. Perhaps Sarah says it best herself when she mentions that her unplanned detours have provided perspectives and learnings that made her graduate studies even more worthwhile.

Sarah’s perseverance has truly paid off, as following her studies she will be joining Wavestone North America as a Senior Analyst. As she begins this phase of her career, Sarah hopes to remain deeply engaged in service by acting as a leader in her church and serving meals to those in need, expanding her impact beyond her professional role. Sarah’s drive to give back, both locally and globally, demonstrates a profound commitment to leadership in her field and in the lives of those around her. Ultimately, Sarah represents the best of what our program strives to develop. Any organization or community she joins will be stronger because she is part of it.”

Katie Bennett – Associate Director for Student Engagement

Molly Christy – Assistant Director of Career Development

University of Pittsburgh School of Business, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

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