Finance Student Spotlight

I chose my major because... I have always felt that a thorough understanding of capital, capital markets and business mechanics are essential to any healthy and vibrant society. I come from a very entrepreneurial family, and why that spirit was able to thrive here in America, but not in their homeland, Mexico, has always puzzled me, even as a youngster. I’ve been hooked on business and finance every since.

I decided to transfer to DePaul because... growing up near DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus, I was privy to the energy and excitement of DePaul students at a very young age. Aside from that, DePaul’s College of Commerce has a top standing in the Chicago area, and I knew that DePaul would not only make my transfer fast and neat, but would also help me become an active member of DePaul’s student body.

The class I most enjoyed here was... business ethics, because it combined my two favorite subjects: philosophy and business. Conducting business with integrity in an ethical manner is very important to me. The business ethics course provided me with a framework through which I can analyze difficult scenarios with an awareness of likely ethical implications; plus, the debates and agreements in the class were great!

When I have free time, I like to... catch up with my much neglected buddies and younger siblings. It’s always nice to be able to take a couple of hours to play a football game with the pals or catch a movie with my little sister, although I may not always enjoy her choice of movie. She’s 9 years old, and as you can imagine her taste and mine don’t usually agree — ah, the life of a big bro.

My favorite thing to do off campus is... jogging, biking or blading on Chicago’s beautiful lakefront. Keeping fit and healthy is very important to me, plus there’s no better place to enjoy Chicago’s sites and sounds than on the lakefront in my opinion.

One thing I didn’t know about DePaul before coming was... the pride that DePaul takes in its diversity and the extent to which DePaul goes to make sure that all groups of its student body feel comfortable with expressing their own unique backgrounds. Even though there are many ethnicities and nationalities at DePaul, a great effort is made to assure that every student feels like a fully embraced and respected member of the DePaul family.

The greatest thing about going to school in Chicago is... having a one of the greatest cities in the world as your campus and playground. The diversity of people, ideas, places, entertainment and experiences is amazing — and its all only a couple El or bus stops away.

At DePaul, service learning is... taken serious and expected of you as a student. You’ll find examples of causes and individuals peppered all across DePaul’s campuses to help you keep motivated.

As a finance major, one of the things that has been unique about my College of Commerce experience... has been the degree to which I have been exposed to not only the theory of finance, but the practice as well. Additionally, I feel very fortunate to have been accepted into the Finance Honors Program, through which I’ve been introduced to exceptional alumni and awesome professors.

What I'll remember most about my internship... is the interesting and exciting world of alternative investments. The industry of alternative investments is a relatively new industry and I was fortunate enough to be interning at a firm at the center of industry in a very turbulent and exciting summer.

After graduation, I plan... to work with an investment firm for approximately 2-4 years before heading to either coast for my MBA, possibly even a MBA/JD. Ideally, I would like to be well advanced in my Chartered Financial Analyst candidacy by the time I depart for graduate school.

The one thing I’d like to say to students considering DePaul... is that DePaul offers many things to many different types of people — the resources and avenues are laid at your figertips so that your horizon is only restricted by your talent, heart, spirit, courage and sweat.