The Student Finance Association appreciates all the guest speakers who gave their time to speak to the group in fall 2024. Whether meeting on campus or engaging via Zoom, each speaker offered students helpful information on career trajectories, academic achievement, and networking practices.
Presentation via Zoom by Samuel Otaño, SFA meeting (September 19, 2024)
Here is a snapshot of the guest speakers invited for the SFA meetings in fall 2024:
September 19, 2024: Samuel Otaño, vice president of Global Capital Planning and Forecasting Treasury at Citigroup, joined the SFA meeting via Zoom. During his presentation, he discussed his career journey and emphasized the importance of networking on LinkedIn, obtaining professional certifications relevant to one’s job, and being proficient in Excel.
October 7, 2024: Willie Dodson, structured transactions business leader, Freddie Mac, presented SFA with information regarding personal debt and credit management. He explained how to analyze personal debt and elaborated on credit scores and the variables that determine one’s score.
November 7, 2024: Paige Klinger joined us from IUP’s Career and Professional Development Center to conduct a workshop on résumé building and cover letters. She discussed best practices for interviewing and networking, as well as the various services offered by the CPDC to students and how to register for them.
November 21, 2024: Joshua Soundararajan, an IUP alumnus, works as an investment banking associate at Vault Advisors, a boutique investment bank. In his presentation, Soundararajan discussed how to break into a career in investment banking and the essential steps to navigate the interview process. He highlighted the competitive nature of his work and the significant time commitment required. To conclude, he invited questions from the audience and offered to connect with SFA members on LinkedIn.
Following the successful fall speaker series, SFA students are looking forward to a full semester of events for spring 2025!