Linh Vo is working towards her MS in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship at Fox School of Business. Her main goal in coming to graduate school at Temple was to gain more experience in her field, and to find the perfect balance between her creativity and business-mindedness.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why did you choose to attend graduate school at Temple?
I noticed that Temple offers a lot of different types of graduate programs that fit different needs, and they also offer lots of scholarships, especially if you’re an alum or meet certain academic requirements. I wanted to do something that combines the creativity of advertising with my background in international business, and my program is a perfect combination of the two. I am learning about business from different perspectives and how to innovate and find new pathways into business. The international entrepreneurship part is also quite interesting. I never really saw myself as an entrepreneur before because I never got the chance to explore entrepreneurship, but after my first semester in my program I realized I can do it, I can be a business owner as well!
"I wanted to do something that combines the creativity of advertising with my background in international business, and my program is a perfect combination of the two."
What was it like to attend Temple for both undergrad and graduate school?
My undergrad was in Advertising, at the Lew Klein College of Media and Communications, and my graduate program is in Fox School of Business. Even though I stayed at Temple, I still got to experience two completely different colleges. At Klein, the approach to business is innovative and creative, and you can tell that the faculty is passionate about what they teach. At Fox, the faculty is thorough and caring, and I have gotten to network with lots of employers, which really opens up opportunities.
Who would you consider your community at Temple? Who can you always rely on here?
I guess I have a bit of a different experience because I transferred to Temple in Spring 2020, right before the pandemic, so after 2 weeks of school we went completely online for the whole year. I would say my community during this time was my international student group through Temple’s Peer2Peer program. Peer2Peer connects a small group of about 10 people with a junior or senior international student here. Every week we meet and talk about our experiences and things we might need help with. It’s kind of like a group of friends who check in on you every week. I also have many connections through the international graduate community at Fox. We all go to this networking orientation at the beginning of the semester, so all the different programs can meet and talk to each other. There is a big international community at Fox, which I enjoy being a part of.
How does your graduate assistantship at the Global Engagement Department inform your work in your field?
The Global Engagement Department works with international students, both current and prospective. There are multiple teams; one group that travels to different countries to recruit students, and then also a group of advisors who are based at Temple to help with current students’ needs. I am in the marketing and communications department, so I work with prospective and current students. My job is to gather information, conduct research, and analyze data that we have from previous projects to inform our future projects.
What advice do you have for new or prospective graduate students?
If you are considering Temple, I would say it definitely helped me get out of my comfort zone to try new things. It will expose you to all kinds of opportunities, and all you have to do is take the steps to grab them.
