During her freshman year at LMU, accounting alumna Jessica Ashley “Jashley” Dy ’19, M.S. ’20 took an international business course titled “Exploring Asian Culture,” which teaches the culture and socio-political history of China, Japan and Korea – the U.S.’s three major trading partners in East Asia. Students gain a better understanding of the ways in which important historical events, political and economic policies, cultural values and philosophical ideas relate to key concepts of conducting business in the region. The course culminates in a two-week immersion trip to Seoul and Busan, Korea, and Beijing and Shanghai, China.
“My experience in “Exploring Asian Culture” helped me understand how diverse business can be,” said Jashley. “Not just from a physical and identity standpoint, but from a cultural and working world perspective.”
Now working as an assurance associate at Ernst & Young (EY), Jashley’s clients range from large corporations like Facebook and HPE to small, private organizations preparing for an IPO. She performs audits of the companies’ financial statements and uses data analytics and auditing software to ensure that the SEC-reported financial statements are fair for the public interest. The success of their audits relies on how effectively they communicate deliverables between their team and the client. Jashley, who hopes to one day become a partner at EY, expressed how her course experience helped her develop the skill of adapting her communication for more effective teamwork.
“What impacts our communication internally in our team is how we adapt to working alongside diverse work styles and different people with lots to contribute in the work we do,” she said.
Jashley hopes for the chance to work outside of the U.S. during her career and credits her experience from the international business course for laying the foundation.
“I feel like I gained the courage to step outside my comfort zone and have more confidence in myself to aim for higher goals,” said Jashley. “Now, I’m in a position at EY where I can rotate between service lines and travel for client work across the world and without [this course], I don’t know if I would have had the courage to take these opportunities as they come.”
Jashley’s career highlights so far include leading her audit team, and working directly with her manager on a client acquisition and presenting that process to the engagement partner. Still, she recalls her experience in “Exploring Asian Culture” as one of the most impactful in which she will use throughout her career.
“My time in China and South Korea were easily some of the most eye-opening experiences I had at LMU,” she said. “The class taught me that diversity is a beautiful thing [and can be an] advantage once you understand its strengths and apply it to your career.”
She added, “LMU does a wonderful job with curating these types of experiences for students so that we can be well-equipped to conduct business abroad and/or gain an advantage through adding international business experience to our resumés.”
“I would definitely recommend that students try their best to incorporate international business classes into their schedules, especially those that offer the opportunity to travel and learn firsthand in the countries they are studying.”
