For students pursuing financial services careers, there’s no better place to network than New York City—the financial capital of the world. Vanderbilt’s Career Center recently partnered with Development and Alumni Relations to host a unique networking opportunity for students and alumni with ties to Wall Street and the financial industry at Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. Called Vandy Meets the Street, the networking event gathered 80 members of the Vanderbilt community to make connections, learn about top trends on Wall Street and hear best practices from four alumni who are industry experts.
“Making meaningful connections with industry experts provides our students with a vital opportunity to discover, learn and grow,” said Alex Sevilla, vice provost for career advancement and engagement. “As we accelerate our efforts to produce powerful opportunities like Vandy Meets the Street for our students, we aim to maximize the support from alumni, parents and employer partners to deliver these unique experiences across many career pathways. The expertise, insight and dedication from these leaders will play a vital role in preparing our students for the careers they seek and increasing their clarity and confidence in the path they have chosen.”
The event featured an introduction to Vanderbilt’s career advancement and engagement opportunities led by Sevilla, a networking reception and a panel of industry experts that included:
- Adena Friedman, Board of Trust member and president and CEO of Nasdaq (MBA’93)
- Andrew Hoine, Board of Trust member and partner and director of research at Paulson & Co. Inc. (BA’96)
- Glenn Schorr, Vanderbilt parent and senior managing director at Evercore ISI
- Celeste Mellet, chief financial officer of Evercore
The event was also attended by C. Cybele Raver, Vanderbilt’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, who has made major investments in strengthening Vanderbilt’s support for students’ career advancement and engagement. “Events like Vandy Meets the Street capture Vanderbilt’s commitment to empowering our students and to giving them the resources to think ambitiously about their own impact as human beings,” Raver said. “Vice Provost Sevilla’s leadership is vital as we create more opportunities for our students to connect, have new experiences and learn from highest-caliber experts and leaders.”
The connections left impressions, with attendees reflecting on and feeling inspired by the event.
“Vandy Meets the Street was a great opportunity to connect with accomplished Vanderbilt alumni in finance and catch up with fellow students,” said Jacqueline Shell, BA’24, a junior majoring in human and organizational development and economics. “I enjoyed hearing career advice from the event’s speakers, and I will be sure to apply their guidance along my career pathway. I look forward to more networking events in the future.”
“VMS is a powerful event in a powerful city—I’m proud to lead this experience and showcase our students, alumni, parents and employer partners who share the common interest of financial services and making an impact in the industry,” said Grace Janoski Foy, associate director of the Career Center.
Additional Vandy Meets the Street events are scheduled for the fall and spring semesters. To learn more and/or get involved, email Foy at grace.foy@vanderbilt.edu.