Student of the week
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Ryan Teo | WINTER 2015 WEEK 7 Year: 3rd
Major: Business Administration major with an emphasis in Accounting Career/Plans after graduation: Full-time position in a professional services firm. Currently looking at consulting and accounting firms geared towards stimulating growth and making a difference Campus Involvements: Accounting Association, Executive Committee Member,Lambda Phi Nu, Quality Control Director, Professional Events Director, Tennis Club Favorite hobby/past-time: Playing tennis, Eating KBBQ How have your personal and professional mentors allowed you to develop as an individual?: As a Business Administration student, I had the amazing opportunity to come out of my comfort zone in becoming a leader in organizations like Accounting Association and Lambda Phi Nu. I have learned countless lessons and teamwork skills from various projects and engagements to allow me to succeed in the professional world. As a leader in my respective organizations, I have been able to understand what it takes to impact a large community of students on campus, which has prepared me to bring my efforts into the working world. Throughout my college career so far, I've been fortunate to have met so many intelligent and elegant personalities in the Paul Merage Community who are pulling together for one simple goal and that is to make UCI a target school for employers. They motivate me to do the same. Advice to the Business Administration majors: Make a difference. The field of business is so diverse as are the different types of business organizations here at UCI. There is no doubt in my mind that you will find an organization or club that suits you and your passions. Hopefully you can use your passions to help those individuals in need of a path! |
Josh Villegas | WINTER 2015 WEEK 5 Year: 4th
Major: Business Administration major with emphases in Finance and Accounting Career/Plans after graduation: New Analyst for Goldman Sachs. I plan to learn as much as I can the next 3 years and I eventually want to work for a hedge fund or corporate venture capital. Campus Involvements: Volunteer at local food shelters and clothing drives Favorite hobby/past-time:Cliff jumping, snowboarding, bungee jumping, sky diving, jet skiing, gym, basketball (Lakers!), football (Chargers!); Recently though, I have spent a lot of time on the stock market... I am constantly reading up on what's going on in the world and filtering out the noise from the media from the real news. As Warren Buffet said, "You have to be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy." I still need to learn a lot more. How have your personal and professional mentors allowed you to develop as an individual?: You know I have been very fortunate that every job and every internship that I have had I've been under the supervision of some great people. The one that really stands out was my Finance Director at MGM's Corporate Office. His name was Wayne Slavik and he was just an awesome guy. He really knew a lot about finance and he took that time to work with me everyday really going into depth of financial statements. I worked with a lot of metrics I never learned in school and he just exposed me to the many jobs within finance. He worked with me everyday, I started off just job shadowing then slowly he would send me things for me to do and though they were complicated at times and I did mess up a LOT, I learned from that though and I made sure that I never repeated the same mistake. I was at Harvey & Company and I had this mentor whose name was Devon Jue, now I was supposed to just do research but after my requests he helped me build basic models and valuations for companies; this was a mergers and acquisitions company. Now I have an awesome boss as well. I work for Belkin International Inc, and I started of as a global finance intern, I tracked the performance of retail stores and products across the world. After 3 months I got promoted to a financial analyst (even though I told them I already have a job lined up) and they constantly push me to learn and grow as a professional. I am starting to get really good at excel; I can now build large Macros using VBA Excel which will surely come in handy in the future. Advice to the Business Administration majors: Don't give up, at the end of the day no matter what excuse you come up with the end result is the same. There are so many jobs out there and so many opportunities. The problem is that many of us end up applying to limited high profile jobs/positions and get discouraged when not selected. Obviously it's nice to get a high profile job but why not apply to a lower profiled job and becoming the star player? Or why not look for jobs outside of the norm? I've seen a lot of people lose the "fire" if you will to succeed when they get turned down by jobs. Don't do that, take that frustration of not landing your dream job or dream position, and come back stronger and better equipped. Study the companies you apply to, read the news, their quarterly reports, listen to their earnings call and come with a mentality of why YOU should work for them because they also have a need not just you. I've been rejected by jobs many times, been fired on my first day of the job, almost dropped out of school when my mother passed away. But I've come to learn that in life you either accept conditions as they exist or you do what is necessary to change them.As Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that do not work." There is a lot of talented people out there and someone will always be better but you have to play your strengths and work on your weaknesses, learn from every failed attempt of not getting a job and see how you can improve. |
Li-Xing Chang | WINTER 2015 WEEK 4 Year: 3rd
Major: Business Administration major with emphases in Marketing, Finance, and Information Systems Career/Plans after graduation: Work at a digital agency (Blitz, HUGE, Red, etc) and join a big tech brand later on before launching a startup Campus Involvements: Marketing Association- Co-founder & President, Anteater Ambassadors Network-Student Ambassador, Microsoft-Student Partner, Community Classroom Project-Founder Favorite hobby/past-time: I read A LOT of technology news (TechCrunch and The Verge) and play video games. How have your personal and professional mentors allowed you to develop as an individual?: They've provided me with some very insightful comments that have shaped the way I see leadership, business, school, and life. It's truly amazing to have been mentored by some of the most hardworking people I've ever met. Advice to the Business Administration majors: As my mentor once told me:"As you get older, you'll soon realize that time (not money) is the most valuable gift that you can give to another person. And you'll soon realize that the main reason why you are where you are today is because there are people in your life who helped you along the way. So remember two things: 1. Never forget the roots of your life journey and remember to give back and help those around you 2. Time is valuable and be careful not to waste it" |
Melinah Kasbarian| WINTER 2015 WEEK 3 Year: 2nd
Major: Business Administration major Career/Plans after graduation: Currently, I plan on attending law school and pursuing environmental or international law. If things don't go as planned, I hope to use my experiences to make a positive impact on others. Campus Involvements: Undergraduate Finance Association, Global Microfinance Brigades, Pre-Law Society, Civic and Community Engagement Favorite hobby/past-time: Going to the beach, watching tv shows, and playing the piano How have your personal and professional mentors allowed you to develop as an individual?: My mentors from the Undergraduate Finance Association have taught me so much about professionalism, business communication, and most importantly how to work in a team and collaborate with others. Being surrounded by diverse students with such unique aspirations has inspired me to shape my own goals for the future. Advice to the Business Administration majors: A great way for Business Administration majors to grow as an individuals, students, and professionals is by getting involved and dedicating your time to your various interests. Don't be afraid to go out and explore all your options. We have endless opportunities to get involved and contribute to on campus organizations in order to put the skills we learn in the classroom, such as leadership, communication, marketing etc., to use in the real world. |