“I am sincerely honored to have been selected as the recipient of the 2020 Carey Gabay Education Fund Excellence Award. Thank you for your generous scholarship.

The Urban Leadership Fellows program completely changed my life and career trajectory. The organization provided me with an early introduction into finance and provided me many tools for success. The various training sessions, such as bond school at SIFMA, were incredibly helpful and taught me a lot at an early age. I interned at Jefferies Financial Group, doing investment banking during my summer with Urban Leadership Fellows, and that was an amazing experience. That summer, I learned a lot about the day to day life of an investment banker. I learned how to use Bloomberg and network with professionals. I spent the majority of the summer assisting on the construction of a deal with a power and light company by researching the name under consideration as well as comparable names across its industry, covering management structure, financial condition and economic trends. I created a public information book on a counterparty comprised of rating reports, an executive summary, relevant legislation and articles. The experience was especially helpful when I began recruiting.

Since working at Jefferies, I have continued to pursue a career in business. The following summer I interned at ALICE, a technology startup, doing sales and marketing. This was a very rewarding experience that taught me how to navigate a small business and a lot about sales. This past summer, I interned at J.P. Morgan in the markets division. There, I worked on the equities cash sales trading desk and the research sales desk. Over the past few years, I have also participated in many introductory training and networking programs, including TD Securities Early Access Program, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Discovery Day, and Rise into Success at Deutsche Bank. I am also a member of SEO and Inroads which have provided me a huge network and a lot of industry training. This summer, I am proud to say that I am returning to J.P. Morgan and will be working in the structuring and originations group.

I am currently a senior at Cornell University, majoring in Applied Economics and Management with concentrations in Finance and Strategy. I am going to graduate this May, a year early, and complete a Masters of Professional Studies in Information Sciences at Cornell University next year. After I complete my master’s program, I would like to return to work at J.P. Morgan. Down the line, I would like to either work for a hedge fund, move into private equity, or start my own company.

For several years I have been tutoring students in art, math and in preparation for standardized exams for free. Inequitable access to test preparation for students has a negative impact on lower income, multicultural communities. Many young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, do not get a fair shot at economic opportunity as a result. Tutoring has made me a better student, improved my ability to communicate knowledge and opened my eyes to broader issues. It combined two of my passions: business and helping people. It has been an amazing experience to see what I teach help someone. We live in a diverse society. If we are able to provide more individuals with what they need to reach their potential, it will not only benefit them, but society as a whole.

Thank you again for helping to support my education.”

Kyle