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Lucy Lu
Tax Intern
"The MACC program is a great fit for me. Accounting requirements match my personality. I'm detail-oriented and always pay attention to the small things as well as to the big picture."
MS in Customer Analytics
Lu had done her online research. WashU was a prestigious institution, and Olin Business School had great employment stats. But she still wanted perspectives from Olin's student ambassadors.
I asked them a ton of questions, and they were extremely responsive," she says. "One person provided a phone number and wrote, 'Call me; we'll have a conversation.'"
A career path that matches her personality
"I have a lot of discretion in what I can study. I was able to take some undergraduate accounting classes that were really helpful and built a strong foundation of skills. Now, I'm more confident about future advanced accounting study and my quantitative abilities."
WashU faculty accessibility
Lu says MACC program professors go the extra mile for their students. For example, her summer Intermediary Accounting instructor has had dinner with her and her classmates to talk about their career options. And he has taken a group of students hiking.
"Also, my Federal Income Tax instructor asked me to be the TA for his course, and I said: 'Yes.'
"Faculty members here are more interested in creating a positive learning experience than in pouring knowledge into us."
How she spends her free time
Lu is a member of WashU's Sensasians A Cappella group and the university's concert choir. Sensasians was the quarterfinal winner of an International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella competition.
"I'm passionate about singing; I've been singing in choirs – and choir competitions – since I was 8. The time commitment is huge and especially challenging for me as a graduate student. But I do it because I love it."
Lu also participates in WashU's Speak English with Us program, which pairs international students with local families. The objective is to strengthen students' language skills through informal conversations.
"My St. Louis family is awesome. I even went to them for advice when I had car problems."
Lucy Lu, Master of Accounting
MS internship: Tax intern, Express Scripts, St. Louis
Education: B. Com, strategy and entrepreneurship and management, University of Canterbury; B. Com, business administration, Tianjin University
Hometown: Dalian, China
Taylor Community Consulting project, Paraquad
National reporting officer, Beta Alpha Psi
Sensasians A Cappella group
WashU concert choir