Posted on December 13, 2021 by Wendy Frost
Five students in the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business were chosen to participate in the inaugural UTIMCO Scholars program.
The participants were Jason Burkhart , finance; Carlos Andres Diaz , finance; Alinna Garcia , accounting; Farah Hamed , finance and management; and Ana Sanchez , finance and computer science.
Looking to increase diversity of investment professionals in the asset management industry, the goal of the program was to expose students to the industry, hone their professional development skills and provide networking opportunities.
“We are proud to have our Carlos Alvarez business students represented in this inaugural program,” said Pamela C. Smith , interim dean and Bodenstedt Chair in the college. “Providing students with experiential learning opportunities is instrumental in preparing students for successful careers in the business industry. We are grateful to UTIMCO for providing this mentoring program to increase the diversity of the internship pool.”
During the three-month program, students participated in 11 interactive sessions covering topics such as interviewing, professionalism, hedge funds, private equity, public markets and investment research.
“The UTIMCO Scholars Program was a big help to me,” said Diaz, a Business Honors student from Washington, D.C. “The program was great and gave me insights into the corporate world.”
In addition to the weekly sessions, scholars were provided with academic articles and newsletters to stay abreast of industry trends and opportunities to network with industry professionals during informal lunchtime chats.
At the completion of the program, a resume book was compiled for external investment partners to introduce them to the UTIMCO scholars. Two UTSA business students were chosen for UTIMCO internships this summer, one student plans to continue their internship at USAA and another student received an offer with Fortress Investment Group in Dallas.
“The program has shown me my true potential, and I have learned to identify my strengths,” said Diaz, who was one of the students selected for the UTIMCO internship. “They gave us insights into various investment fields which will be invaluable as I explore my career path.”
Forty-one juniors from 10 campuses across the University of Texas and Texas A&M Systems were nominated by senior leaders at their schools for the program. Recipients were chosen for their curiosity, perseverance, strong work ethic, optimism, willingness to learn and the potential for early career success.
UTIMCO is one of the world’s leading global investment managers, with over $60 billion under management on behalf of The University of Texas and Texas A&M systems. The portfolio managed by UTIMCO represents the largest pool of educational assets in the country and is used to support over 330,000 students.
— Wendy Frost
