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Cast of The York School Play, Matilda
Alumni Spotlight: Andrea Ma ‘14
Andrea Ma ‘14 chose The York School because she wanted a co-ed school with a global perspective. Entering York in Grade 11 enabled her to continue the IB education she’d started at an international school in Hong Kong. She soon formed close, lifelong friendships with classmates whose families had moved to Toronto from across Europe and the Middle East.
York’s IB Diploma Program gave Andrea many opportunities to develop her critical thinking, research, writing and public speaking skills. She says two exceptional learning experiences stand out in her mind: participating in a Hunger Games-themed Model United Nations simulation at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, and analyzing Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty in her 4,000 word Extended Essay, a required component of the Diploma Program.
“The Extended Essay was daunting because, at that age, it’s the longest essay you’ve ever written, but learning how to approach it with a research-based mindset really helped when I was writing my dissertation at university,” says Andrea.
A keen interest in the business side of fashion led Andrea to the fashion management degree program at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. Motivated by the inefficient business systems she encountered during a co-op placement with a fashion wholesaler, she wrote her dissertation on the role that AI could play within the retail supply chain.
Today Andrea is working at the centre of AI-driven innovation in the retail sector. As an Enterprise Customer Success Manager at Instacart, she’s leading strategic adoption efforts for a major American retail chain that is piloting an AI-powered “smart cart” concept in its grocery stores.
A keen interest in the business side of fashion led Andrea to the fashion management degree program at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. Motivated by the inefficient business systems she encountered during a co-op placement with a fashion wholesaler, she wrote her dissertation on the role that AI could play within the retail supply chain.
Today Andrea is working at the centre of AI-driven innovation in the retail sector. As an Enterprise Customer Success Manager at Instacart, she’s leading strategic adoption efforts for a major American retail chain that is piloting an AI-powered “smart cart” concept in its grocery stores.
Andrea says working with a huge client to move the smart cart program forward in a complex grocery environment is “fun, exciting, challenging and intense.” She credits The York School with helping her “develop the analytical and collaboration skills that are essential as she works with cross-functional partners and understands diverse perspectives.”
Pictured: Photo #1 - Andrea today; Photo #2 - Andrea (second row, far right) with her friends at her Grade 12 graduation; Photo #3 - Andrea (far right) on graduation day with her Math teacher, Ms. Leslie Miller (second from left) and two classmates.
Pictured: Photo #1 - Andrea today; Photo #2 - Andrea (second row, far right) with her friends at her Grade 12 graduation; Photo #3 - Andrea (far right) on graduation day with her Math teacher, Ms. Leslie Miller (second from left) and two classmates.
