Meet Washington Foster’s MBA Class of 2019

Tim Luk

University of Washington, Foster School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Just trying to do the right thing.

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver on someone who was choking and saved her life. The other part of this story is that she was choking on a piece of food I cooked for her. I feel both very proud and very guilty.

Undergraduate School and Major: B.A. Philosophy & English, Boston College

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: GLG, Business Development Associate, North American Financial Services HouseWorks; Executive Assistant to the CEO/COO Reece & Associates; Executive Assistant to the President Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Residential Aide

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment is pivoting from a career in law to a career in business. I worked at a boutique law firm focused on public affairs with the intention of going to law school. I took the LSATs, wrote the essays, and sent in applications. But as I went through that application process, I realized that law school wasn’t for me. It was a risk to drastically alter my career path, but this decision led me to GLG, the world’s largest membership network for professional learning where I worked with some of the most sophisticated investors in the world, and now here to Foster to pursue my MBA.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Really focus on connecting the dots in your story. Think hard about all of the things that are motivating you to apply to business school – your past experiences, your passions, your areas of improvement, and your desired career path – and figure out how to package them into a compelling, professional journey that shows who you are, who you want to be, and how business school is the key to get you there. Practice communicating your story so you don’t ramble and can tell all the major highlights in a way that flows.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? It’s easy to become caught up in rankings, salary numbers, each school’s brand, etc. After receiving multiple offers from various schools, I realized that these figures were helpful in starting my initial diligence on schools, but faded to the background as the application process progressed. The decision-making process became much more about fit. Where did I think I would thrive? Which school would help me become the best version of myself? At the end of the day, all the schools I got into have excellent reputations and all of them have the ability to change the trajectory of my career. I chose Foster, though, because of the program’s intentionality. The students I spoke with were incredibly focused, accomplished, and humble. The admission staff and career management team genuinely wanted to get to know me to tailor the program around my goals and are really able to do that due to the intimate class size. This personalized approach left a distinct impression and ultimately was the deciding factor to choose Foster over other programs.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? The full-time MBA program is an incredible opportunity to pause and reflect on my personal and professional journey thus far. It’s a luxury to have a safe place to take risks and fail in order to learn and recalibrate for the future. Success will be taking full advantage of this and making sure I fully explore before I commit.