Press "Enter" to skip to content

Stern Singles Presents: Ashley Joseph9 min read

Oh, you haven’t met Ashley Joseph? Just know that her beloved dog, Bella, literally skips and frolics when walking with Ashley. Puppies never lie. That could be you, skipping through life, but you keep ducking happiness. Duck no more. Get to know Ashley and frolic through life yourself. You’re welcome! Don’t take my word for it though, just look at the testimonials from fellow Sternies.

Sternie Testimonials:

“The girl you take to brunch but also want to marry, that is Ashley. By far one of the most caring and selfless people I have met in my life, she is there for you through thick and thin. Formidable values. Transparent. Reliable. Beautiful soul (and face in my opinion). She is the person you can be your true self with and that’s the most important thing.”

“Ash is known to put her heart into everything she does. She is very thoughtful and always looks out for her friends. Her party energy is super contagious. There is never ever a dull moment with our curls queen!”

“Ashley is a gem. She’s sweet, smart, kind, and genuine. She’s a burst of energy and I always laugh so much with her. I’m so happy that I have gotten to know her throughout the program.”

Fast Facts 🏃🏽‍♀️💨 📠

Name: Ashley Joseph

Program: Langone

Specializations: Strategy / Management of Tech & Operations

Hometown: Houston, TX

Instagram: @ashhleee__

What’s it like having 2 first names?

Sometimes people think my name is Joseph.

Can we call you Joe?

No, but you can call me AJ!

Kk AJ 😗 Why get an MBA? Why Stern?

Getting an MBA has been a goal since I graduated undergrad, but I’ve dreamt of going to NYU since I was 16.

Reaaaallllyyy? 🤩

Yeahhhh 😍

What drew you to NYU?

Maybe it’s just New York City as a whole, but since I grew up in the suburbs of Houston, moving to NYC was always a big dream of mine.

Looks like you knocked off a lot of life goals.

Humbly, hell yeah I did. Next up, is finding someone to go on adventures with.

What’s your Stern experience been like? Highs and lows?

Let’s start with the lows: the pandemic. Everyone is probably tired of hearing this, but the pandemic taking away the whole in-person experience wasn’t fun. Being online for 10+ hours a day between work and school was extremely challenging 🙃 But the highs: I’ve made some lifelong friends and amazing memories.

Now for some important questions… Drake or Kanye?

Drake 100%

That says a lot about you.

I’ve been to his concerts 3 times.

Peace or problems? Well why would you choose problems? You like Drake. You probably channel all that energy into clever IG captions.

I’m not confrontational enough for problems.

What’s your favorite color? Jk, unless you’re gonna answer…

I don’t think someone knowing my favorite color is gonna make or break this… *long, awkward pause and shifty eyes on both accounts*…but it’s mint green.

What are you looking for in a guy?

Someone who’s empathetic, honest, and genuine.

Dealbreakers?

Smoking cigarettes

What would you hope people understand about you as they get to know you?

What you see is what you get. I don’t know if this is a result of getting older or just being more comfortable with myself (maybe both), but I try to show up as my genuine self regardless of who people are. I saw the testimonials written about me from friends that have only met me over the last few years, but it’s the exact same way my childhood friends would describe me – I think that speaks for itself.

Suddenly, you awaken in a panic. Another nightmare after the storm. It’s a Saturday morning, you look at your phone and all plans have been canceled. Are you happy, sad, afraid, mad?

I wouldn’t even be mad because there’s a 95% chance the homebody in me wanted to cancel also.

Got it. So how’s dating as an introvert?

Hahaha I mean…I’m doing a Stern Singles interview so not great.

What are you doing on an ideal or typical weekend?

An ideal weekend would be somewhere on a beach. But a typical weekend… I like to take my dog Bella to the park. Actually, I try to take her anywhere I can when I’m exploring the city on the weekends. That’s my main girl.

Also I LOVE to brunch. Brunch is my favorite thing to do in the city. If there’s a rooftop and a brunch involved, I’m there.

You sound like Kim K. “Get your f*cking ass up and brunch”

“It seems like nobody wants to brunch these days”

Drink of choice?

Moscow Mule

Classy. Are you taking the mug with you or what? *The Oppy does not condone stealing*

I actually have my own copper mugs. I’ll make you a drink next time!

Tell us about your job girlie.

I just started working as a Global Supply Manager at Lyft! It’s pretty cool because I did an industry and career shift which makes me feel like getting my MBA was worth it.

Congrats! That’s the goal! What did you do before?

I worked in project management consulting in the construction industry.

ZZzzZZZzz (respectfully)

Exactly why I wanted to change careers.

How did you get into Lyft?

I’m specializing in strategy and management of tech and operations, so I was aggressively applying to any role that would allow me to exercise that.

So do you get free Lyfts?

I get 15% off.

Omg that’s such a shitty discount. But it sounds really cool though! Do you like what you do now?

Absolutely. I wanted to do something different from what I did the majority of my career. This position has allowed me to do that by forcing me to step out from behind the scenes and get more comfortable with navigating a new industry, taking on a lead role, and negotiating with vendors. I’ve realized negotiating is an important life skill and it’s helping me identify my strengths. I don’t have to be this super aggressive negotiator. That’s just not me. I can be myself and lead a conversation with empathy and kindness and still accomplish the same thing.

Give us a rando fact about yourself we’d never guess!

I was born and raised in Houston but I was in ESL (English as a second language) in elementary school. My parents are immigrants and I’m the oldest child, so our language is what I learned first.

Where are your parents from and what is your first language? We love a cultured girl.

They’re from Kerala, India and we speak Malayalam. We used to go to India almost every summer to visit my grandparents.

What’s your favorite memory of India?

One summer my grandparents got me a pet goat. I named her Minnie like Minnie Mouse.

What’s Minnie up to these days?

This was like 20 years ago…and my grandparents stopped giving me updates so not sure…how long do goats even live?

Let’s pour one out for Minnie.

*Spills wine*

Do you like to travel?

Love it and can’t wait to get back to it once I graduate and have more free time. Growing up we traveled a lot because my dad works at United. Shoutout to my parents, they always took me on the best vacations – Australia, Hawaii, India, lots of places in Europe.

Ooh subtle flex. Where is the first place on your list once you graduate?

Flying benefits, now THAT’S a discount. Lyft should take note. I really hope no one from work sees this…

My best friend and I want to go to Barcelona in August!

Ms. Worldwide. What is your favorite travel memory?

Cyprus! My brother and I did a sibling trip where we traveled to Tel Aviv and Cyprus. Cyprus places a lot of emphasis on Greek mythology and I used to geek out on that stuff when I was younger. It was also our first time traveling abroad without our parents so all in all, it was an amazing experience.

And didn’t you also recently do a DBi?

I went on DBi Madrid. It was my first time in Spain and my first time studying abroad. I can see why people study abroad for a whole semester and say it was life-changing. Just in the one week we were there, I became friends with complete strangers and we all bonded by spending so much time together – exploring the city, taking day trips, and eating incredible food.

What’s your favorite thing to do for fun?

So I hate to work out but I love to box. It’s so good for my soul and helps me relieve any stress. So watch out, I can kick someone’s ass if they cross me… Just kidding, I like Drake, remember? No problems, all peace.

🔥 RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS 🔥

My mantra is…

What’s meant for you will not pass you.

Greatest strength:

Always finding time to squeeze in a nap.

Most irrational fear:

Spiders.

Hallmark of a good relationship:

Honesty and sharing fries.

Quick rant–GO!

I don’t have patience for people that lack emotional intelligence.

Dating me is like…

My best friend once said talking to me is like taking a Xanax because I calm her down, so yeah, I guess that’s what it would be like.

Two truths and a lie:

I was an extra in a music video.

I don’t know how to swim.

I had a pet parakeet named Kiki.

Can you guess the lie? Reach out to Ashley through email or Instagram @ashhleee__ She really does have the best captions.

Mission News Theme by Compete Themes.