Posted on February 22, 2017 by Joanna Carver
Matthew Mussenden is the first to admit that he didn't know anything about finance a year ago.
But, he credits his success to hard work, commitment and a career aptitude test that he took that pointed him toward the fields of accounting and finance.
And, the test must have been correct because Mussenden received three internship offers from prestigious investment banks this summer in New York City. He chose the securities summer analyst position with Goldman Sachs and was also one of only five students in the nation in his division chosen to receive their Goldman Sachs Scholarship for Excellence.
Mussenden’s journey has not been without challenges. He experienced tragedy as a 12-year-old when his mother died, and he was raised by his grandmother. He joined UTSA’s tennis team as a walk-on, and he worked as a waiter and tennis instructor while a full-time student. And, his hopes were crushed his junior year when he was denied internship offers by every Wall Street firm. But, he continued to persevere.
“My passion is finance. And UTSA’s finance program is among the best in the country because of The Investment Society,” said Houston native Mussenden. “The people at UTSA make the difference. We’re competing against Ivy League schools and winning. I’m so appreciative that I came to UTSA.”
Mussenden credits his success to getting involved and not being afraid to take leadership roles. He was an active member of the Honors College, Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Financial Management Association and the Investment Society.
“Believe in yourself and understand nothing is impossible,” said Mussenden, who will graduate in December 2017. Mussenden took full advantage of the extracurricular and career development activities provided by the Investment Society to break through the original barriers standing between him and his dreams.
Mussenden praises the faculty, students and alumni at UTSA for helping him succeed. “There are brilliant people at UTSA. Ron Sweet is a phenomenal professor, who cares about his students and really makes a difference in our lives,” he said. “I credit Investment Society alumni Ricardo Rosales and Sergio Silva Cisneros with helping prepare me for my investment bank interviews.”
He also honed his craft while completing two internships last summer and this year with Acelity in corporate financial planning and with PwC as an assurance intern.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work on Wall Street and see what I can do,” he said. “I’m ready to rise to the challenge. This experience will change both my life as well as the lives of my family.”
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— Joanna Carver
