Jessica Nguyen-Tran

My name is Jessica Nguyen-Tran. Growing up in Northern Virginia as the daughter of Vietnamese immigrant parents, I learned early that education is one of life’s greatest opportunities. My parents have spent decades making sacrifices for our family. My dad is a mechanic for Fairfax County Public Schools and often works overtime, while my mom commutes over two hours each day to Maryland for work. As the youngest of three children and the last to attend college, I have seen the financial commitment my family has made to support our education. Their work ethic is one of the reasons why I get out of bed to achieve more.

I am on track to graduate a year early with a Bachelor of Science in Business, concentrating in Management
Information Systems, from George Mason University in May 2027. Through Mason’s Bachelor-to-Accelerated
Master’s (BAM) program, I will also earn my Master’s degree in Business Analytics in May 2028. I hope to build
a career in consulting and business development because I enjoy collaborating with diverse teams, as well as
using technology and real-time data to solve problems.

Through the Mason Consulting Group, as I led a team of six this past semester, I learned that I love asking
thoughtful questions that open clients’ perspectives, understanding the challenges they face, transforming
ideas into feasible solutions, and sharing ideas with a team. My team and I partnered with a local adaptive
fitness gym to develop recommendations for its digital presence, community partnerships, and pricing
strategies, so it could reach more individuals with disabilities. Seeing how strategic changes could expand
access to life-changing programs further sparked my interest in business growth and community impact.

I am where I am today because of the community I’m surrounded by at George Mason: my encouraging friends,
classmates, professors, mentors, academic advisors, supervisors, and everyone in between. As Vice President
of Public Relations for the Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Fraternity, I collaborated with Phi Iota Alpha to organize a donation drive for Small Things Matter, where we assembled over 80 care kits filled with everyday essentials
and handwritten notes for neighbors in need. Also, serving on the Executive Board of the Accounting Society
taught me to be prepared and poised, especially for big events. For the most anticipated student-run
networking event of the year, we planned for months with over 10 student organizations and more than 20
companies, resulting in over 180 registered attendees. This event was such a success that some of my friends
told me that they had coffee chats scheduled, which helped them ultimately land their summer internships!

 

I hope to continue to use my education to create opportunities for our community and one day provide
the stability and support for my parents have always deserved.

​​