Michelle’s academic interests first sparked from taking a personal finance course back in high school. She was motivated to understand the essence of achieving financial freedom for herself, which led to a deep interest in exploring the opportunities within the field of finance. Michelle is also motivated by her ideals as a creative professional. This led to Michelle’s interest in exploring a Marketing degree to learn more about how to market products and services effectively to a diverse range of clientele. With her time at RWU, she pursued a Bachelor of Science degree from the AACSB Accredited Gabelli School of Business in Finance, and double majoring in Marketing. According to Michelle “In my mind, that was the perfect combination that will provide me a unique perspective and skillset to set myself apart from the world of finance.”
Michelle’s unique and persistent work ethic does not stop there. As a student at Roger, she pursued various leadership opportunities on campus. Not only was Michelle the Executive Treasurer for Inter-class Counsel, but she was also a Chinese Tutor and Resident Assistant during her years here on campus. Michelle successfully managed her academic course load while succeeding in her extracurricular activities, displaying what it truly means to go above and beyond to support her fellow Hawks and establish a community and network with the individuals she collaborated with each day. Michelle was honored to not only be a member of the Intercultural Leadership Ambassador program, but she was also a fantastic mentor, with this experience, she was able to engage in programs and gain the financial support needed to finish her degree. Michelle states, “All of my involvement throughout my time at Roger Williams helped shape me into the person I am today.”
As Michelle navigated her academic journey, her true passion was to explore business and organizations that offered her an array of opportunities to grow in her field and excel in the business world with great potential. Starting her junior year, Michelle was persistent in seeking what possibilities she could explore after graduation. She utilized every resource available to her on campus to make those connections with fellow Hawks and RWU alumni to look for opportunities within her field. This led Michelle to Ernst & Young, a company she believes shares the same mission and ideals as herself, with that, they offered Michelle countless opportunities to grow as a young professional. As one of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms, EY is one of the latest multinational professional service networks in the world, providing consulting, assurance, tax, and transaction services. After connecting with many RWU alumni and professionals with EY, she applied and was later offered a consulting role for their Boston division under their consulting development program. Michelle’s primary function will be providing consulting services within banking and capital markets beginning this summer!
Michelle is grateful for the amazing connections, network, and family she has built at Roger Williams University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from RWU in December and is excited to begin her next adventure in Boston. Michelle has influenced so many students at RWU through her various leadership roles and classroom engagements. She encourages students to build their own networks by utilizing the Roger Connection, Handshake, and LinkedIn to build relationships within their future fields of interest. Lastly, through her experience, Michelle would like to share that “No one knows you need help unless you put in the effort and ask questions. So put in the initiative to make connections using the available resources, and be consistent with your communication, try conducting an informational interview to put yourself out there and see where that opportunity takes you!”
