When Cat Nguyen moved from Vietnam to the United States to attend Seattle Central College, she spoke no English.
“I struggled a lot my first three years,” she said. “I didn’t retain any words from class and didn’t know what I wanted to study.”
While Nguyen was learning the language, she found herself constantly asking questions—about homework, about how things were calculated, about why processes were set up the way they were, and more. That curiosity around “how things work” became a throughline in her career. Today she’s director of accounting for Noble Investment Group.
After completing her associate of arts in general studies in Seattle, Nguyen began considering four-year schools. She landed on Georgia State University because of a generous scholarship package. But her decision to enroll there involved more than financial aid. As an aspiring CPA, she planned to major in accounting and finance at Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business—and to secure a job at a large company that could offer her visa sponsorship.
“Robinson has a good relationship with large financial institutions,” she said.
As part of her studies, Nguyen explored financial modeling. Fortunately, her instructors made complex financial concepts easy to understand.
“Even now, almost 10 years later, I still remember those intellectual models for valuation, discounted cash flow models, and more,” she said. “They’re still applicable.”
Her program of study also included a computer information systems class. The course stoked her natural tendency to question why things are done a certain way but through the lens of technology.
“I’m constantly scrutinizing processes and what technology can make them better, faster, or more accurate,” she said. “That mindset has completely changed the way I think about work.”
Nguyen locked in a job offer at EY during her junior year and graduated with her B.B.A. in 2017. At EY, she served clients in the real estate, hospitality, and construction subsector of the company’s Atlanta Assurance Practice. She stayed there for four years.
“I don’t think I would have been able to do that without attending Robinson because the college has an established relationship with firms like EY,” she said. “Georgia State’s strategic downtown location really helped me, too.”
Nguyen moved to Cortland in 2021, working her way up from assistant fund controller to director of U.K. accounting. This past September, she became director of accounting at Noble Investment Group.
At Noble, Nguyen is not only flexing her accounting and financial muscles but also developing professionals who are in the early stages of their careers through internship opportunities. She scouts talent from several places including Georgia State.
“If someone helps you, it can go a long way. I want to be a resource for the next generation,” she said. “It makes me happy.”
Learn more about Robinson's B.B.A. in accounting and finance programs