Allyson Johnson, B.A. 2007

VP of Investor Relations, Eclipse Ventures — Palo Alto, Calif.

2007 Major: BA, Mathematics; minor in German; Education certificate

How has being a Mathematics graduate from Duke helped shape your professional success?

"I viewed my math major as a way to develop and hone my problem solving skills and learn how to think, more than I conceived of it as a way to build specific technical knowledge. In my career since graduating from Duke, I have worked at an international bank in 4 countries, a hedge fund manager in Singapore, a private markets investment firm based in Singapore and Dubai, and currently at a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Across all of these roles, I have been faced with different problems which required quantitative, qualitative and creative problem solving skills. It's really in this way that I feel my math major - and overall, my studies and coursework at Duke - have helped in my professional success."

What advice would you give students in Mathematics?

"Think of your major broadly - even if you are a Pratt student with a somewhat more narrow focus on engineering, math and science courses, take advantage of the liberal arts education that Duke offers you. Focus on honing your writing skills - again, no matter what your major is. For math majors, I think a key benefit that transfers into writing skills is the ability to be succinct. You have no idea how many people in 'the real world' have trouble expressing themselves clearly (whether in writing or speaking), so this as well as building a quantitative base will be the best ways to maximize your degree."

Photo of Allyson Johnson