Alumni Profile: Allison Plaisance '00

College of Business

Degrees: International Business and Accounting
Hometown: Houston, TX
Current City: New Orleans, LA

I will always remember my first visit to Loyola. I had agreed to visit with my parents, alongside a lifelong friend and her family, during the spring of my senior year at a large Houston-area public high school. I had already been accepted by the large Texas universities that most of my classmates would ultimately attend. My trip to New Orleans, I had thought, was really only a last-minute confirmation that I wanted the “typical” large university experience.

Up to that point, I had visited Louisiana numerous times without ever actually visiting New Orleans. I was immediately taken with the city once we turned onto the picturesque St. Charles Avenue. That drive marked a turning point for my consideration of Loyola, which opened my mind to new possibilities of the trajectory of my education and preparation for life beyond college.

At the core of Loyola’s education is the development of Cura Personalis, or care for the “whole person.” Juxtaposed in the culturally diverse city that is New Orleans, Loyola’s Jesuit ideals flourish. Layer into that the experiences I had on Loyola’s campus through soccer, Greek Life, business school, and general campus community life, the effects on me were immeasurable. 

The friends and connections I made, with both students and faculty, continue with me today. By understanding and empathizing with the broader world, beyond my selected areas of study in International Business and Accounting, I bring unique perspectives to my clients and the greater-business communities in New Orleans. What's more, the importance of community service and giving back still drive me in the selection of non-profit support and participation.

Whether you're a local New Orleanian or joining the Pack from around the world,  I strongly believe that Loyola brings a “think globally, act locally” perspective to its students, and that translates well to the working world beyond the classroom. I know that my Loyola experience is not unique. It is the same Loyola influence and characteristics of students I see when I recruit graduates from Loyola today.