Event Recap: College Panel: Business Edition

On April 25th, Girls For Business hosted our April virtual event, “College Panel: Business Edition.” The event featured eight college student panelists who shared their unique experiences in studying in the business field, insights on their different majors, and all about their schools! 75 participants came together to hear the panelists’ personal business journeys and receive exclusive business advice. 

Amalia MacKenzie, born and raised in London, discussed how her upbringing helped her decide to pursue business. Inspired by her parents, who are both business professionals themselves, Amalia spoke on the importance of how one’s environment impacts their personality, interests, and drive for success. Amalia noted that her parents were encouraging of her passions from a young age, as they helped Amalia develop confidence and build skills like negotiating. When asked about how to break into the business field, Amalia spoke about the value of exploring multiple aspects of business in college instead of just finance, which is a popular choice for many. Additionally, when speaking on the benefits of being a business major, Amalia explained how she “doesn’t feel restricted with a business major” and appreciates how “business is in every company” which allows one to explore their interests in virtually any field. 

Payal Tripathi, born in Mumbai, discussed how she discovered her passion for finance, even though she previously “didn’t know anything about the topic”. Payal explained that after taking a finance class, she was hooked. Although, Payal noted that “you don’t have to have one interest you identify with” and the importance of exploring all of your options. When asked about the process of getting an internship, Payal discussed the importance of connections. However, she explained that connections don’t have to be “transactional” but can be developed through genuine, natural conversations with people. Additionally, when asked about qualities that are important for a business student, Payal emphasized that resilience is a key quality to have if you want to be successful in business. She noted that one must “be patient with yourself along the journey, always try again.” She finished by saying that we must “be open to failing, that is the only way you can grow.” 

Mia Gradelski is a sophomore at NYU Stern concentrating in Financial Technology and Entrepreneurship. As a lifelong New Yorker, Mia knew staying in the city was the right match for her, and her interest in different FinTech companies propelled her to study business at NYU. Outside of school, Mia runs her finance blog Boiled Not Fried, which has accumulated shy of 10k readers. In her free time, she enjoys playing ping pong and tennis. She also recently sold her startup Forte.

When asked for a piece of advice she would give to her high school self, Mia shared that “rejection is redirection.” College applications are extremely competitive and it is natural to get rejected when many are applying to the same school. Mia advised everyone to not dwell on the past and “never tie [ourselves] to rejection.” She also touched on computer science and its importance in the business field. Mia believes that “coding is the next big thing we have to know” and explained that it is heavily involved in business. She shared that taking computer science/programming courses in middle school and on Khan Academy helped her learn to code in a fun and engaging way and recommends anyone who is interested to explore online coding classes as well. When asked how to build connections, Mia mentioned that she landed her first internship in high school by sending a cold email and constantly following up over the two months after. She stressed the importance of going after things you desperately want as well as making sure you stand out. Other ways she gained connections were by attending coffee chats, reaching out through social media, and meeting alumni.

Abigail Zhang is a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Journalism. On campus, Abigail is involved in Berkeley Women in Business and Aurum Cosmetics, where she is able to combine her interests in the beauty industry and business. She is also a marketing intern at YINA (a skincare startup) and enjoys graphic designing and video editing in her free time.

When asked for a piece of advice she would give to her high school self, Abigail adds that “it’s okay not to know what you want in high school”. She understands the feeling of being around people who have their entire life figured out and encourages us to explore and take advantage of the options and tools we have. Abigail also spoke about her marketing experience and explained that it is easier to get an internship in marketing (even if you have little experience) since familiarity with social media is always something you can leverage. She noted some different sides of marketing as well as the types of jobs under them (ex. marketing analytics if you are interested in the data side of marketing, consumer behavior if you are interested in the psychological aspect of marketing, digital/brand marketing if you are interested in the creative side of marketing). When asked about the biggest challenge she faced while studying business, Abigail explained that finance and technology are the main focuses in the Bay Area. As a student interested in marketing, she felt herself often succumbing to peer pressure as well as facing imposter syndrome. She reminded us to never be afraid to speak up and remember that our voice matters.

Karen He is a Sophomore at USC Marshall School of Business majoring in computer science and business. Within her school, she has been active on the USC campus as a student ambassador and has also participated in professional consulting clubs, volunteer organizations, and club sports. Additionally, she has studied abroad in London and recommends that anyone considering studying abroad should take the chance. Karen is also an incoming summer intern at NASDAQ. When asked for advice on how to find internships, she explained that many of them come from connections, especially for high school students. Thus, she recommends applying to multiple at a time and reaching out to smaller companies and nonprofits. Additionally, she emphasizes how important it is to be open to new experiences and roles when applying for internships instead of being fixated on a specific role. She explains that after getting an internship, the roles will become more flexible and managers can be willing to make changes based on your work. She reminds everyone that “the titles are not always what you will do,” so it is important not to get dissuaded from certain positions solely based on the description. 

Anina Dashiell is a freshman at NYU Stern majoring in Finance and Global Business with a minor in Korean. When asked how she found her interests and passions, Anina answered that her experiences with extracurriculars and clubs helped her discover what she was passionate about. Additionally, she explained that networking with other students and professionals, asking them questions, and seeing other people in the field helped her visualize what certain career paths would look like. She also emphasizes that it is important to “get out of your comfort zone” and pursue new or different experiences before ruling anything out. When one participant asked how she separated herself from other candidates in college applications or internships, she stressed the importance of “showing your personality and character.” Anina advises not to get too hung up on trying to fit into an exact mold. Instead, she advises students to pursue something that is out of the box or something they genuinely love. 

Debby Qu is a sophomore at the NYU Stern School of Business. She is concentrating in Finance and Marketing, while minoring in computer science. Qu is involved in many activities on campus, such as Scholars of Finance, Marketing Society, and Stern Student Council. Currently, she is an intern at Crum and Forster and Symposium, and is Team Associate at Scholars of Finance. Qu talked about how marketing is a huge field, and said that it is important to branch out and try as many things as possible. Qu recommends trying as many things as possible, even if you are unsure if you will like it. That way, you can eliminate them as you go. For example, you can join as many clubs as possible, and decide whether you like it or not. Clubs are always easier to drop than join late, and that goes for a lot of other things. She said to make sure not to only focus and pursue one thing, because it leaves you stranded sometimes and unable to choose different paths. 

Rachna Kumar is a sophomore at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She is studying finance and information systems and is involved in many activities on campus. Kumar is a teaching assistant for a business intelligence course and marketing chair for South Asian student association, a consultant at Montlake consulting group and a student ambassador for UW alumni Association. Kumar spoke on how to appeal to schools and internship possibilities, namely by showing them your passion and how you care about the opportunities you’re given. She said that they don’t expect you to be perfect, but still do research about the school and their courses, or research about the company and what the internships entail. Another important topic she touched on was that relevant experience directly ties into what the company wants, so make sure you have experience or you are willing to gain experience. and bring value into the company. Kumar emphasized that “no one is going to be perfect,” and told listeners to not compare themselves to others because “you are always your harshest critic.”