Olivia Jiang ’26

After studying economics as an undergraduate, my goal was to launch a career in consulting. I was looking for a program that could bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and concrete business use cases, while also giving me the latitude to explore diverse interests. The Global Business and Society program felt like a perfect launchpad to transition from intensive study to real-world application.

The GBS curriculum includes 16 credits from core courses and 18 credits from electives across SOM and the broader Yale ecosystem. Through custom-tailored coursework, I’ve gained exposure to a variety of sectors and business functions. The academic environment here is both challenging and collaborative. I particularly enjoyed the core course Business Ethics, taught by Corey Cusimano. The intimate class size made each session very interactive. We engaged in rigorous debates over ethical dilemmas, challenging each other’s thinking.

I also pursued some unexpected courses, like Entrepreneurship in the Art Market and Agents and Fiduciaries: Economics and Law, a seminar cross-listed between the university’s economics department and Yale Law School. Curating these experiences has helped me discover what I’m interested in and good at.

Our professors also provide windows into diverse career paths. Leora Kelman, who teaches the Emerging Trends in Digital Advertising course, is currently a managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group. Her growth trajectory and firsthand insights gave me a clear blueprint of what a long-term, successful career in consulting can look like.

When I think about my time at Yale, I view my community experience through three lenses. First, there’s the broader Yale community, which I’ve engaged with through the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, where I represent the SOM students. This leadership role allowed me to connect with brilliant peers across Yale’s various disciplines. Then, I’ve gotten to know the SOM community through classes, events, and school-wide traditions. Finally, there’s the GBS cohort, which I’m especially close with.

Our cohort is a small, close-knit melting pot of diverse cultures. We love exploring together, whether by visiting local museums, attending university events, or building our own traditions—like regular catch-ups over cookies from Olmo Bagels. Because the GBS program is an intensive one-year journey, everyone is enthusiastic about creating as many memories as we can before launching into our next chapters.