Meet the MBA Class of 2023: Angela Yang, University of Washington (Foster)

Angela Yang

University of Washington, Foster School of Business

“Aspiring healthcare leader passionate about improving access and quality of healthcare; loves all flora/fauna.”

Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have perfect pitch; I can identify or recreate any musical note/pitch.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Michigan; B.S. in Neuroscience, Minor in Music

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Booz Allen Hamilton; Associate

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? The sheer number of opportunities, the passion of the community, and the closeness to nature. I think that both Foster and Seattle attract people that are very driven by strong values (e.g., community/compassion, balance, innovation, and appreciation for nature).

Aside from your location and classmates, what was the key part of Washington Foster’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Foster’s emphasis on Applied Learning was key in my decision, specifically the applied strategy course. Many schools tout experiential learning opportunities, but I think this opportunity is as hands-on as you can get as you work with corporate sponsors to solve real business challenges. Teams work on the projects for one quarter, creating hypotheses, conducting primary and secondary research, completing in-depth analysis, and developing recommendations which are ultimately presented to the company. It is so important to me that what I learn in my academic program is applicable to real-world applications.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Washington Foster I am excited for Challenge 4 Charity! Foster has a great track record in C4C, and I am looking forward to being inspired and challenged by classmates that also care about supporting and developing communities.

Washington Foster operates off a philosophy of We>Me. Give us an example of how you’ve incorporated that approach in your career? At a previous position, our healthcare business development team was composed of eight different cost and pricing team leads, and none were women. I sought out mentors and engaged other women in cost and pricing trainings to increase representation. That initiative set off a chain of female pricing leads mentoring other women to become more involved in pricing business.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest professional accomplishment so far has been moving to Washington, DC for a healthcare consulting position, and achieving my goal of gaining exposure to Federal healthcare agencies.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? COVID-19 further cemented the fact that we are nothing without our health and further solidified my decision to go into healthcare. I want to drive improved health outcomes, especially for patients in high-risk populations; and to ensure that organizations are ready to tackle healthcare problems that arise.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I am pursuing an MBA now to broaden my skillset and diversify my healthcare experience. The more exposure I have to healthcare, the more I sense how business/management and healthcare are connected in our US health systems. With a typical company, the goal is to increase revenue. With healthcare, it is often not the case; it is difficult to put a price on life. Healthcare is  a constant struggle between the rising costs and providing quality care. Ultimately, I am looking for opportunities to apply my understanding of healthcare and a business education to build and scale innovative healthcare solutions that meaningfully improve care delivery efficiency and ultimately improve the care that patients receive.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? McDonough, Owen, Fuqua, Wharton, and Darden.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Washington Foster’s MBA program?

1) Clarify for yourself why you want to pursue an MBA, and how Foster specifically will help achieve short-term and long-term goals. Think about how you will contribute to the Foster community.

2) Take the time to do some introspection before starting to write your essays. Don’t just set out to answer prompts.

3) Reach out to current students—speaking to other students really helped me understand the program better so I could speak to it in my application and interview. Talking to other Foster students also helped solidify my decision to choose Foster.

DON’T MISS: MEET WASHINGTON FOSTER’S MBA CLASS OF 2023

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