Coco Ma '20

Growing up in Hangzhou, China, Coco Ma kept changing her mind about what she wanted to be. One day she dreamed of becoming a lawyer; the next, a TV show host, then a journalist — or maybe an IT expert. All she knew for sure was that she wanted a challenge.

Her career arc has followed a similarly winding route. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in energy engineering from Penn State, she got her start helping Volvo reduce its environmental impact before transitioning to a sales job with a Swiss tech company. The decision to earn an MBA at Rice Business was another twist, motivated by her interest in starting her own jewelry line, Azuco Jewelry, which she launched during the program.

And she has a new gig lined up for after graduation, when she’ll relocate to Austin to work for Apple on its supply chain operations. “I have established a great relationship with the Rice Business career service advisors,” she says. “I wouldn’t have been able to get the offer from Apple without their help and encouragement.”