1999 Major: Economics
"My freshman year, as I listened to my first econ professor, I realized I had almost nothing in common with most of the people in the lecture hall. One thing which really stood out for me was when he said that being able to predict interest rates could be very lucrative. The prior year he'd made a correct macro prediction, and with that prediction he was able to buy a new car. Everyone laughed but me. I had absolutely no basis to connect with that type of wealth or financial reality. I came from a very middle class family and a lot of the people in that room were from families of extraordinary wealth. So how did that shape me personally and professionally? To be honest, it caused me to be wary of everyone and to be careful about who I could trust. I was stepping into a world which I knew nearly nothing about and this was my first real taste of class warfare. It was subtle, but it was absolutely there. It prepared me to be an outsider regardless of how much money I made or how smart I was. To this day, that remains true."
"Make as much money as possible when you're young, save up, and find a more fulfilling career than finance. It sucks the life out of you and unless you love it, it's empty. Be careful about who you trust and never be afraid to ask for what you deserve. Be transparent about your income with people in your industry who might not be as fortunate as you. I think it's really important to help those who weren't born into such remarkable places of privilege."
