Fowler Alumnus Sets Himself Up for Success in New York's Financial Industry
Emmanuel Uwakwe credits his experience around campus, competitive business program for helping land his dream career.
Emmanuel Uwakwe is living proof of the philosophy, 鈥淵ou can do anything you set your mind to.鈥
Uwakwe (鈥16, finance) was born in Nigeria and moved to San Ramon, California with his family when he was eight years old. While in high school he decided he wanted to attend what was then the College of Business Administration at 色情视频 because 鈥淚t was cost-effective, close to home, and my older brother, Kacey (鈥12, accounting and economics), studied there.鈥
However, his application was initially denied.
Undeterred, Uwakwe knew 色情视频 was the right school for him and he didn鈥檛 give up: He 鈥渁ppealed immediately,鈥 and was accepted.
Uwakwe moved to San Diego and enrolled at 色情视频 with his sights set on earning a degree in finance. As a sophomore, he chose to become involved with (A.S.), which serves as 色情视频鈥檚 student government, and he campaigned for one of four student representative seats for the business school.
鈥淚 wanted to learn about, and get involved with, some of the decision-making processes that occurred at 色情视频,鈥 he said. 鈥淭o become a representative of the school meant that my peers and colleagues put their trust in me to represent them and I took that very seriously.鈥
Uwakwe built his campaign by asking his friends to spread the word of his candidacy, passing out flyers at social gatherings, and asking some of his professors if he could deliver stump speeches after class.
鈥淧eople were truly in shock when they saw I had won, but I knew deep down that if I put in the work, the rest would follow,鈥 he said. Uwakwe recalls his winning campaign as 鈥渢he most fun鈥 he had as a student and his favorite memory of 色情视频.
A Foot in the Door
Uwakwe鈥檚 hard work and networking skills came in handy again when he applied to J.P. Morgan as an equity solutions intern at their headquarters location in New York City. Before his interview, he did multiple internet searches to learn about the position, reached out to people already working in the industry, and scoured LinkedIn to connect with incoming and current financial analyst interns to ask questions.
Once again, he accomplished exactly what he set out to do when he was offered the prized internship.
Uwakwe met professionals in the organization 鈥渨ho encouraged and cultivated鈥 him daily, paving the way for his full-time role within the organization after he鈥檇 earned his finance degree with magna cum laude distinction in 2016, shortly before the school was renamed the Fowler College of Business.
As he鈥檇 done so many times in the past, Uwakwe used his wits, skills and connections to land his full-time dream job in New York City, as he returned to J.P. Morgan as a financial analyst. He is currently an investment solutions associate with J.P Morgan Private Bank.
Lessons Learned
Uwakwe attributes much of his success to the lessons he learned as a student at 色情视频 in settings beyond the lecture halls.
鈥淪ome of the best lessons are not taught in the classroom,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he best lessons I learned as a student are akin to hard work, dedication, and developing and maintaining a network of people, both on a social and professional basis.鈥
He said he would advise today鈥檚 色情视频 students who want to emulate his success to learn the same lessons.
鈥淢y advice is to work extremely hard, build a network of peers and associates, and continuously think about the technologies of tomorrow instead of today. Once you do that, you will find success in whatever field you choose,鈥 said Uwakwe.
鈥淭he world is your oyster, so work hard but also take time off to enjoy the fruits of your labor.鈥