Alumna leverages Freeman network to land dream job at Entergy

Networking. It’s a word that echoes in the ears of many job seekers — and for good reason. According to a recent LinkedIn survey, personal connections yield up to 80% of new opportunities for job hunters.

Esther Frempong (MBA ’25), who now works as a strategy analyst at Entergy, was once one of those job seekers.  

“I began aggressively job hunting right after I graduated from Freeman,” she says. “I started with the numbers approach and was just applying anywhere and everywhere. But it can be really taxing. When you compare the number of applications you put in to the number of responses you get back, it’s discouraging.” 

Frempong knew she needed to shift her strategy. 

 “I was doing a career switch, and I realized I knew I would need people to help me.” 

A New Orleans native who grew up on the West Bank, Frempong began her career teaching math at St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie, but her mother, who owns a successful boutique clothing business, served as an early inspiration for her interest in business. 

“There are a lot of transferable skills when you go from teaching to the business world, but you have to get someone who recognizes that,” she says. “I started leveraging my education and my status as a Tulane alumna and began reaching out to people to show my interest in their companies.”

Frempong also began attending networking events like the Freeman School’s annual Bubbly and Brunch, a social event that connects current students with alumni.  

One of those alumni was Shannon Brice (MBA ’04), director of finance at Ochsner Health.  

“What stood out to me about Esther was her strategic vision,” Brice says. “I was impressed by her ability to think beyond the task in front of her and combine technical capability with big picture thinking.” 

Brice encouraged Frempong to apply for the Finance Fellowship Program at Ochsner, which provides participants with hands-on exposure to healthcare finance, operational performance and strategic decision making within a large, complex health system.

Frempong took Brice’s advice, applied and was invited to interview for the fellowship. 

“It was an intensive interview,” she recalls. “It lasted all day — from 8 am to 4 pm.”

Though Frempong did not end up getting the fellowship, she used the experience as a springboard for future interviews.

“Even though I didn’t get that one, the experience really helped me in my interview skills and preparations for future interviews,” she says. 

In addition to Brice’s advice, Frempong also drew on the expertise of Bouvier Williams (MBA ’93), head of Organization Development and Change at Beth Israel Lahey Health in Boston. 

Frempong met Williams through the Freeman School’s Industry Experts-in-Residence program, which connects students and alumni with seasoned industry professionals. Williams gave Frempong pointers about networking and recruiting. 

“I went to Dr. Williams and asked him how I could become better at networking,” Frempong says. “He was great about connecting me to people in my industry.” 

“Esther really worked the Tulane alumni network,” Williams says. “She reached out to leaders in her industry of interest and followed up with each of them to get referrals that led her to even more professionals.

“In addition, she did her research to understand the growth drivers, the competitive landscape, and supporting technologies for each company where she made a connection. Ultimately, Esther walked into networking conversations ready to listen and make linkages between the organization’s strategy and her capabilities.”

Erin Revere, assistant director of the Freeman School’s Career Management Center, also gave Frempong useful advice. 

“When students focus on genuine connection instead of a specific outcome, their conversations become more authentic and impactful,” Revere says. “I encourage students to lead with curiosity, ask thoughtful questions and truly listen.”

“I didn’t want to feel like I was talking to people because I wanted something,” Frempong says. “Erin helped me shift my mindset. She helped me see that I was able to make genuine connections with people and have genuine conversations about work. That’s what helped me see that these interactions were not purely transactional.” 

Frempong says it was the insightful conversations she had with members of the Freeman network that prepared her to speak the language of the energy industry and understand what she could offer companies. This new approach helped her ace her interviews, and she landed a job at Entergy, a Fortune 500 energy company that provides power to 3 million customers across the Southeast.  

Her mentors couldn’t be happier. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see a student like Ester work with focus and intention and then translate that effort into a role she is excited about,” says Brice.

“Esther is amazing,” Williams adds. “I’m delighted that she is now working in a career that she is extremely passionate about. I foresee that she in turn will help other Tulane students successfully navigate their individual career journeys.”

Frempong says she came away from her job search with a greater appreciation for the Freeman community and the role she’ll play in it. 

“It’s all about giving back to the people who got you where you are,” she says. “Tulane has a great network of people who are willing to come back and reinvest in students. And now I’m one of them.”