Following Her Gut To Business School -- Mallory Wang On Maintaining Her Sense of Worth As A WOC In Her MBA Program

“I am the youngest of 3 children, always the baby of the family. My older sisters are both doctors and little old me has always had the toughest time finding myself. I went from being pre-med to nursing, to teaching, to finally something in business. I found my footing in digital marketing when I worked at Buzzfeed, and never looked back. Since I graduated college, I made a promise to myself to go back to school and achieve higher education. For 8 years I was just too lazy to sign myself up for more education. At the same time, I was told my whole life that education is the key to everything.

As I entered my 30’s, I finally decided to apply to UCLA’s executive business program and got in!! Between work and getting married (in a few weeks 😬) I have been juggling school and finals. I have barely survived these past couple of months!! For the first quarter that I have been in school, here are a few lessons I’ve learned since I’ve started my MBA program.

1️⃣ It’s never too late to ask for help. I recently started therapy so I could gain the right tools to sustain my mental balance with all the stress of life. 2️⃣ Ignorance is real, especially with those who are privileged. In my first week of school, a male classmate of mine vehemently complained about the long lines in the bathroom. I openly expressed about why I had concerns with this complaint. First of all, the reason why the male lines are long is because there are 70-80% males in our 2020 class. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Secondly, it’s sad that this classmate has never felt this pain before because women feel this struggle all the days of their lives. Finally, I wish I could find the sympathy for his dick problems. 3️⃣ Go back to school when you truly have the desire and time to. I wish I went sooner so I didn’t feel rushed to go to school, then have kids and be a super mom, etc...

Like most of you, I am still figuring out my life. We are all trying our best to make the best out of what we got. Just know that if you feel marginalized, you are not alone. Your feelings are real and you will rise above. I’ve been able to meet some of the most inspirational female and people of color business leaders in Los Angeles, and none of them have said their journey was easy.

It’s difficult in any industry to be a marginalized individual. Make sure to find your crew, your personal board of directors, your trust circle or whatever you want to call it. Those friends will be part of your success story and make you feel less alone.” — Mallory

To keep up with Mallory’s business school journey, check out @mallorywang for more!