Photo of Grace FosterGrace Foster graduated from Elon University in 2012 with a degree in economics and a degree in mathematics with a concentration in pure mathematics. She now works at Chase as a business process manager.

Majors: Economics and Pure Mathematics

Minor: Political Science

Current job: Business Process Manager, Associate for Chase in Wilmington, Del.

Main job responsibilities: I manage an analytics and process improvement team within Chase’s Credit Card Marketing department. My team is focused on operations primarily and is responsible for producing monthly reporting, performing controls analysis, identifying process gaps and creating automated solutions for improving processes.

What do you like best about your job?

I like the variety that my job offers me from day to day. I work with internal stakeholders all across Chase and get to learn about a myriad of processes the company performs. I also enjoy the relationship building and networking that comes from this type of work. Additionally, my focus on analytics allows me the opportunity to complement interpersonal aspects of my job with application of technical skills and concepts I have learned (and am currently learning) in school.

What have you been up to since graduating?

After graduation, I moved to Philadelphia where I have lived for almost 4 years. I immediately joined a leadership development program within JPMorgan Chase, where I spent two years as an analyst rotating through various roles in the company. Upon graduating the program, I was promoted to Associate and accepted a full-time role at Chase; one year after that, I was promoted again to become the manager of the team I was on. In Fall of 2014, I enrolled at Drexel University in Philadelphia to pursue my Masters of Science in Business Analytics as a part-time student. I am anticipating graduating with my master’s in spring 2017. When I am not at work, I try to use my vacation time to travel, and have taken a few trips to Europe since graduation, which was great to do as I never had the chance to make it there as a part of Elon’s study abroad!

How did the Love School of Business help prepare you for your career?

I think my focus on academics as well as experiential learning at Elon and in the LSB has helped differentiate me most in my career. While it is important to perform well in your job and do high quality work, I have found it is equally, if not more, important to also be excellent at communication and relationship building. I think Elon did a great job stressing that message and giving me opportunities to develop my leadership skills and emotional intelligence.

How did Elon’s liberal arts curriculum help strengthen your understanding of your business major and your overall educational experience?

As a double major in math and economics with a minor in political science, I had the opportunity at Elon to be a part of a few different colleges. By complementing my business knowledge with math, I was able to apply technical skills in my classes and now ultimately my job and master’s degree more readily than some of my peers. Data and analytics are the way of the future, so having a strong base in mathematics and computer science has benefitted me greatly. Additionally, my minor in political science as well as the other liberal arts courses I took helped to highlight knowledge and strategies that are transferrable across disciplines. This has translated to the real world as I have been able to use transferrable skills and apply them in the various roles I’ve held so far at my company.

What did you enjoy most about being a LSB student?

My favorite part about the LSB were the relationships I was able to form with the faculty. I loved the open door policy each of my professors had as well as the collaborative nature of our relationships. I’ve been able to maintain some of those relationships since graduating, and have looked to faculty for advice on my career path as well as references for graduate school.

What advice do you have for current Love School of Business students?

Focus as much on being involved with worthwhile (emphasis on worthwhile) extracurricular activities as you do on your courses. Don’t be afraid to take on leadership opportunities, and when making decisions about how to get involved on campus, think of what will help differentiate you in the long run, and what will help you develop skills you wouldn’t have otherwise!

Elon Activities

  • Honors Fellow
  • Sigma Kappa sorority, Vice President of Finance, Activity Chair
  • Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Honor Society, President
  • Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society
  • Pi Mu Alpha Mathematics Honor Society
  • Intramural sports, flag football

Internships

  • Credit Suisse
  • Studley