Pertia Fiankobea Aboagye, Washington University Olin’s MBA Class of 2028
Age: 25
Hometown: Asiakwa, Eastern Region, Ghana
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Ghana, BSc Business Administration(Accounting)
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Financial Analyst, PayAngel (Fintech); Operations, Becky Queen Catering Services (Food Manufacturing) – 7 years of cumulative experience
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Before business school, I had learned business from two very different perspectives: the spreadsheet and the factory floor. As a financial analyst at a fintech company, I learned how to use numbers to understand what was happening in a business and support decision-making. Working in my family’s food manufacturing business taught me the other side of identifying problems, making decisions, leading people, and turning ideas into action.
I reached a point where I wanted to bring those experiences together and move beyond analyzing and executing individual pieces of a business to influencing broader strategic decisions. An MBA felt like the right next step to strengthen my strategic judgment, grow as a leader, and learn alongside people whose experiences are very different from my own.
Why did you choose Washington University Olin? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
One of the biggest factors was Olin’s emphasis on experiential learning. I was particularly excited about the Center for Experiential Learning and the opportunity to work on real business problems while still in school. I did not want my MBA experience to happen only in the classroom.
The people also played a huge role in my decision. Conversations with current students, alumni, and members of the Graduate Programs Office gave me a sense of a community where people genuinely wanted to help me succeed. Receiving the Forté Fellowship was another significant factor. Beyond the financial support, I was excited about joining a network of women who support and learn from one another. Through Forté events, I have already met and connected with inspiring women from different backgrounds, and it has been a nice experience so far.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2028?
I think I bring the perspective of someone who has experienced business from both the analytical and operational sides. Those experiences have taught me to ask not only, “What do the numbers tell us?” but also, “Can we actually make this work?” I also bring my experience growing up and working in Ghana, which gives me a perspective shaped by doing business in an emerging market. At the same time, I am excited to learn from classmates whose backgrounds and experiences are completely different from mine.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
Two days before leaving Ghana to start my MBA in the U.S., I decided it was finally time to learn how to ride a bicycle. After a day of trying, I still couldn’t do it so I arrived at Olin with an MBA ahead of me and learning how to ride a bicycle still on my to-do list.
Post-MBA career interests:
Post-MBA, I am interested in corporate finance and strategy roles where I can combine financial analysis with broader business decision-making. I want to gain experience solving complex problems in a global organization and continue developing as a strategic leader.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
Talk to current students and alumni. Websites and admissions materials are helpful, but some of the most valuable insights I received came from people who had actually experienced the program. I am grateful to the students, alumni, and Olin staff who took time to answer my questions, and I look forward to doing the same for future applicants.
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I would still take the time to understand my “why” before applying. Sitting down and thinking about why I wanted an MBA, why now, and what I wanted to do with the experience helped everything else come together and made it easier for me to write my essays.
I would also speak with current students, alumni, and the Graduate Programs Office again. Those conversations helped me understand Olin beyond what I read online and ultimately helped me determine whether it was the right fit for me.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would apply earlier. The MBA application process has many moving pieces, and starting earlier would have given me more time to enjoy the process instead of feeling like I was racing toward the deadline.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
If I could have skipped one part, it would probably have been overthinking whether every part of my application was good enough. It is easy to compare yourself with sample MBA essays online and start questioning your own story. What helped me was focusing on telling my own story and experiences rather than trying to create the application I thought someone else wanted to read.
What is your initial impression of the WashU Olin students/culture/community?
One of my first impressions of Olin is that it is difficult to define anyone by just one thing. You meet someone and initially know them by their previous job, industry, or country, but once you start talking further, you discover so many other parts of their story. My classmates have worked in very different industries and lived in different parts of the world, yet I am constantly surprised by the experiences and interests we share.
I have also noticed that people are comfortable sharing what they know. Second-year students share recruiting advice, classmates help each other through difficult concepts, and professors and advisors make themselves available for conversations. It has made Olin feel less like a place where I am simply earning a degree and more like a community I am becoming part of.
What student organizations have you joined/are you hoping to join and why?
I have joined the Olin Africa Business Club, Strategy & Consulting Club, Africa United, and the Olin Supply Chain & Operations Association. Each connects to a different part of my background or an area I want to explore during my MBA.
I am also interested in becoming more involved with entrepreneurship and technology. Within my first month at Olin, I participated in the WashU Skandalaris Innovation Hackathon, where my team identified a documentation challenge faced by emergency medical teams and developed an AI-powered solution to make capturing and transferring patient information more efficient. We were selected as one of the Top 5 finalists out of 25 teams. Coming from a finance and operations background, working on a technology problem was outside my usual lane, but I loved it. That experience makes me want to keep exploring opportunities that push me beyond what I already know.
What is one thing you have learned about WashU Olin that has surprised you?
I was surprised by how much of the MBA experience began before I even stepped into my first class. The pre-MBA programming and orientation were packed with opportunities to learn about ourselves, meet classmates, prepare for recruiting, and understand the resources available to us.
At first, it felt like a lot before classes had even started, but I quickly understood why. By the time classes began, I already knew people I could reach out to, had started thinking more intentionally about my goals, and had a much better sense of how to navigate the resources available at Olin.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I am excited about stepping outside my comfort zone and embracing experiences that will challenge me to grow personally and professionally. I look forward to exploring new interests, broadening my perspectives, and making the most of opportunities both within and beyond Olin.
I am also looking forward to getting to know my classmates beyond the classroom, building meaningful friendships, and creating connections that will last long after graduation.
