Akshaya Karanam '24 Attends Exploring Finance Workshops

On November 10 and 11, Mount Saint Mary Academy junior, Akshaya Karanam '23 attended the Exploring Finance Workshops at the NJCU School of Business and the Members Exchange stock exchange in Jersey City, NJ. She applied for the workshop opportunity, which was hosted by Invest in Girls, NOIP (National Organization of Investment Professionals), and New Jersey City University.

 

“The organizers of the workshop gathered a group of girls who had previous coursework in finance and economics,” said Akshaya. “I had completed AP Macroeconomics last year, and I currently take AP Microeconomics, as well as personal finance courses through Invest in Girls.”

 

“I didn’t exactly know what to expect. However, it was an incredible event to take part in because the workshops showed how extensive the finance field truly is, and the variety of opportunities within it,” she added. “I enjoyed hearing from the women in finance, from the artificial intelligence developers to the venture capital professionals! I also appreciated the personal advice the women shared from their own experiences in paving their careers.”

 

Kathleen Brennan, Mount St. Mary Academy Mathematics Chairperson, said, “It was an amazing opportunity for Akshaya to learn about the variety of careers within the financial industry. Hearing firsthand from women who have been successful in the industry dispels the notion that finance is only for males.”

 

Akshaya plans to purse economics and policy in the future, however, the workshops opened her eyes to considering finance – particularly in equity trading – because she finds the aspects of how current events impact global markets especially interesting.