In Lu Zhang’s case, hearing was believing.  

While she was a college student at Wofford, she was trying to decide whether to  workforce after graduation or going to graduate school. Lu’s finance professor told her about the MAcc Valuation program at Vanderbilt, which the prof’s daughter had completed (and loved).

“I knew right away that it was the right program for me,” Lu says — and a campus visit cemented her choice.

“I like having only 40 students in one class so that they can bond closely together,” she says. “I liked the concept of having a paid internship during the program, so I could better understand if business valuation is the right path for me. (I am glad that it is!). I like being able to take classes with MBAs and having a group of professors and staff who make themselves available to students.”

As much as Lu learned about valuation, what also stands out to her in hindsight is what she learned about herself. Thanks to coaching sessions in the program, she says, “I understood better my expectation of my career and my goal for the next 5-8 years.” Mentoring sessions with female professionals who shared their stories left Lu feeling “empowered to achieve what I desire.”

Meanwhile, she adds, because group work accounted for almost 70 percent of the coursework, Lu was able to become part of a group of students she was comfortable working with and who supported each other. “The people in the program made a huge impact on who I want to be in the next few years,” she says. “They also taught me valuable life lessons that definitely changed my way of looking at things.”

Fun Fact: Lu lived in four countries in the past five years – and so far has visited 20 different nations.

“I liked the concept of having a paid internship during the program, so I could better understand if business valuation is the right path for me.”