The Duke Financial Economics Center (DFE) has named five graduating seniors as the 2023-2024 recipients of the DFE Leadership Award. They are Clare Abboud, Connor Booher, Valerie Deligiannis, Abhinav Kolli, and Blair Spencer.
The annual award highlights seniors who have made outstanding contributions as leaders and mentors in the Duke undergraduate finance community. Abboud, Booher, Deligiannis, Kolli, and Spencer’s names will be added to a plaque that hangs in the third floor DFE area of the Social Sciences Building, listing all recipients of the award since its inception in 2011.
The five students have shown their leadership through an array of respective campus involvements, from finance-focused clubs to student businesses to social causes that deeply matter to them. Throughout all activities, they have been committed to helping their peers.
“These students went all in on giving back the mentorship they received as younger students,” said DFE Executive Director John Caccavale. “In fact, they actively created opportunities to support their peers figuring out recruiting, interviewing, and networking.”
“So often students who do summer finance internships or young alumni who are new in finance jobs report that at their firms Dukies really stand out in how much they support one another,” said DFE Teaching Director Emma Rasiel. “This culture of collegiality and mentorship starts on campus, and Clare, Connor, Valerie, Abhi, and Blair exemplify it.”
In their own words and those of students who have been impacted by them, each of the award winners is featured below.
Three words to describe you: curious, reflective, ambitious
Job after graduation: analyst on Citi’s Debt Capital Markets desk
Student activities: Duke Impact Investing Group, Duke Investment Club, UNICEF Club, DFE Student Advisory Committee, Dzialga Women in Finance Fellow
Favorite Duke class: FECON 307A Understanding Financial Crises and Panics
Favorite way to spend leisure time while at Duke: playing sports with friends, be it recreational pick-up games or organized intramural sports. Nothing beats the combination of fresh air, friendly competition, and being with friends!
What finance-related experiences have had the most impact on you?
My involvement with the Duke Impact Investing Group (DIIG) has been a highlight of my time at Duke. When I first joined DIIG as a freshman, the organization was in its infancy and radiated with entrepreneurial zeal. My initial involvement was through DIIG’s student-run course on impact investing, which I co-taught and created lecture content for. This role allowed me to wholeheartedly embrace my curiosity, delve deep into topics that fascinated me, and dedicate myself to projects with complete creative control.
As I progressed with DIIG and eventually became partner in 2023, I became more involved with the organization's client-facing verticals, including our flagship venture capital fund and our pro-bono consulting and data analytics services. Together, with my two partners, we successfully led the establishment of a second fund, bringing our total investable capital to $250k—the largest sum entrusted to a student-run fund by Duke.
How has peer mentoring—as a mentor, mentee, or both—been a part of your Duke experience?
Peer mentoring has undoubtedly played a transformative role in my Duke experience. Without the guidance and support of early mentors who took a chance on me as an underclassman, I would not have had access to half of the opportunities I've been fortunate to pursue. I'm also grateful for previous students who dedicated themselves to building crucial infrastructure on campus, through organizations like Duke Investment Club and Duke Impact Investing Group, which have directly contributed to my development both in and out of the finance context. Giving back, even if it's just a fraction of what I've received, is the least I can do to express my gratitude.
What is your advice for younger students interested in finance?
Don’t try to force yourself into a mold that you feel ill-fit for—it’ll only lead to underperformance and early burnout. Rather, figure out what intrinsically motivates you, where your strengths lie, and what qualities you’d like in a job, and then build a career around that. Prioritize self-awareness and authenticity in your career exploration, keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to be unconventional!
Sophomore Grace Peng says: “When I first met Clare, I remember thinking that she was exactly the kind of person I wanted to meet at Duke. Her outstanding academic and extracurricular experiences speak for themselves, but more importantly, she is kind, hardworking, and always willing to provide advice. Having worked with her in DIIG and Investment Club and participated in the Duke in New York program at her suggestion, Clare is someone that I look forward to keeping in touch with long after graduation.”
Three words to describe you: ambitious, curious, and witty
Job after graduation: Leveraged Finance at Morgan Stanley
Student activities: research assistant in the sociology department, SOL Fellow in Sanford’s Hart Leadership Program studying housing inequality, DFE Student Advisory Committee
Favorite Duke class: FECON 370 Global Capital Markets
In 10 years… I see myself working in some combination of financial services and public policy to address the housing crisis that affects millions of Americans every day.
What finance-related experiences have had the most impact on you?
The immediate exposure to ever-evolving deals and capital markets—through both my sophomore and junior summer internships—was the best education in real-world finance and is what has excited me even more about beginning my career.
What finance-related achievement are you most proud of?
Simply seeing how much I have learned over the last four years
How has peer mentoring—as a mentor, mentee, or both—been a part of your Duke experience?
Mentorship—first as a mentee and eventually as a mentor—has been one of the cornerstone aspects of my Duke experience. Simply put, I would not be where I am today if not for the generosity of current and former Duke students. It gives me immense pleasure, now, to be able to pay that generosity forward by helping younger students along their path in finance.
What is your advice for younger students interested in finance?
Always keep learning!
Junior Cj Nagle says: “When I came to Duke, I felt overwhelmed by the abundant career paths and professional interests. However, when I met Connor freshman year, his passion, knowledge, and dedication to the world of finance inspired me, and pushed me to follow the same path. Connor has not only provided me with the technical tools to succeed in the finance world but is someone I consider a life-long friend who continues to inspire me both personally and professionally.”
Three words to describe you: committed, caring, passionate
Job after graduation: investment banking analyst at Lazard in NYC
Student activities: co-president of the Duke Association for Business Oriented Women (BOW), DFE Student Advisory Committee
Favorite Duke class: SOCIOL 264 Death and Dying and FECON 370 Global Capital Markets
Favorite Duke moment: winning the 2023 home Duke-UNC game after black tenting
What finance-related experiences have had the most impact on you?
[Participating in] Duke in New York Financial Markets & Institutions had a profound impact on me. It provided me the opportunity to truly discover whether pursuing a finance career in NY is what I wanted. Through the finance courses, firm visits, mentor advice, and coffee chats with Duke alumni, I was able to hone my interests and learn which parts of the financial services industry fascinated me the most.
What finance-related achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the mentorship role I have been able to take on as an upperclassman. Through my time as co-president of the Duke Association for Business Oriented Women (BOW) this year, I have had the opportunity to help many younger members as they explore potential career paths in finance. I have also been a resource to members outside of my organization, and I am incredibly proud that I have been able to use my experiences to have a positive impact on other students.
What is your advice for younger students interested in finance?
I would encourage any younger students interested in finance to leverage the incredible Duke network, starting with their peers. As you begin considering what areas of finance are of interest to you, reach out to juniors and seniors who have experience in the roles that you are considering. The Duke community is incredibly supportive, and speaking to your peers is a great way to explore potential finance paths before you begin networking with alumni.
Sophomore Ilene Park says: “Whatever it was—finance recruiting advice, BOW events, or career choices—Valerie has always been available, welcoming, and encouraging. As a woman in finance myself, her presence and empowerment of other women interested in the industry made her a true mentor. I am so lucky to have met her through the DFE Mentoring Pods program, and I will always admire and aspire to be the role model and mentor that she is to other women.”
Three words to describe you: curious, driven, committed
Job after graduation: analyst at Starwood Capital
Student activities: Duke Investment Club and Duke Real Estate Club
Favorite Duke class: tie between PUBPOL 515 Assisting Development and FECON 472 Goodner Equity Research Project
Favorite way to spend leisure time while at Duke: exploring the Triangle food scene with friends
What DFE activities have you been involved in?
I had the opportunity to help organize, with Valerie Deligiannis, this year's DFE competition series, which was sponsored by alumni at Blackstone, KKR, Centerview, and Silver Point. It was a great opportunity to work with committed alumni in building out programs tailored to boost Duke engagement in recruiting broadly and in developing the skills of underclassmen.
What finance-related achievement are you most proud of?
I really enjoyed building out the Investment Club's corporate and alumni relations as co-president this year. Capitalizing on the club's history on campus as the oldest student finance organization and building out relationships and a solidified network for future students and alumni is an investment I'm sure will pay off tremendously. Whether it's in the additional resources provided by new corporate sponsorships or the connections formed through a newly created alumni database going back over a decade, students will be able to take advantage of a variety of newly created opportunities.
What is your advice for younger students interested in finance?
Although recruiting is quite systemized and regimented, don't let your intellectual curiosity falter through the process. It pays dividends to always be learning, going to speaker events, and taking advantage of all the opportunities Duke offers you. Don't check out after you have your offer in-hand.
First-year Maria Ding says: “Abhi is an amazing mentor—he is always very supportive and willing to help! He gave me valuable advice about taking advantage of the finance resources on campus and connecting with other upperclassmen. He also helped me to navigate through the interview process of the Investment Club and build up my confidence in doing finance.”
Three words to describe you: motivated, curious, resilient
Job after graduation: I will be working at Blackstone in the Real Estate Debt Strategies (BREDS) group.
Student activities: president of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, COO of Bull City Beds, and a member of the DFE Student Advisory Committee.
Favorite Duke class: FMKT 390 Demystifying Corporate Restructuring and FECON 370 Global Capital Markets
What will you miss most about Duke? I will miss living in Durham and time with my closest friends. I will also miss the extraordinary community of people here who challenge me to wake up each morning and be my best self.
What finance-related achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the mentorship that I have provided to younger students as they begin their journey with finance. I am also proud of the Demystifying Finance Series, which we on the DFE Student Advisory Committee designed so that first-years could learn about finance from upperclassmen in a setting where they feel comfortable asking the basic questions.
How has peer mentoring—as a mentor, mentee, or both—been a part of your Duke experience?
Peer mentoring has been a fundamental part of my Duke experience. During my sophomore year, I would sit in the library with seniors Emily Ma ’22 and Thomas Schaefer ’22 and they would field my questions and discuss financial markets with me. Drew Flanagan ’23, Sanjay Satish ’22, William Bradley ’22, and Eric Little ’21 have been instrumental to my professional growth throughout my time at Duke.
As an upperclassman, I have prioritized giving back by helping other students as they go through their own recruitment processes. Teaching others and helping them to find the part of finance that they are passionate about has been extremely rewarding.
What is your advice for younger students interested in finance?
Finance is incredibly broad and touches the world in many interesting ways. My advice to younger students is to explore and learn about the way that the capital markets function and the many different types of investing that exist. With more information, you can make the best decisions for yourself as you carve your own professional path.
Sophomore Abby Beamer says: “Blair has been instrumental to my recruiting process and success. She is incredibly selfless, always willing to lend a helpful hand, and never made me feel bad about all of my silly questions. I am so grateful to have such an amazing mentor and role model, and I know she is going to flourish in her career and beyond.”
