New York Career Trip a “Once in a Lifetime Experience” for Econ Undergrads
A “once in a lifetime experience,” that’s what Sophomore Mara Dukuly called this year’s first annual New York City Career Exploration Trip. The week-long excursion, hosted by the Department of Economics in mid-January, took current University of Minnesota students to visit the New York Stock Exchange, Houlihan Lokey, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs. Students also led informational interviews with Economics alums, providing them with a variety of networking and career exploration opportunities.
Department of Economics Chair Tom Holmes, and Academic Advisors Annie Bigley and Tiffany Murphy accompanied the students on the trip. When asked what they hoped students got out of the experience, Bigley and Murphy said, “the goal was to create exposure to different career paths, and develop a feel for working in a really large city after graduation.” It was also an exercise in autonomy for the undergraduates, as students had to book their own flights, and find their own way to site visits and informational interviews.
For Dukuly, this experience inspired her to step out of her shell. “I learned that I’m much more outgoing than I thought. While I tend to be more introverted, this trip gave me the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and expand my knowledge.”
Of the site visits, the New York Stock Exchange was a resounding favorite among attendees. The students got a rare opportunity to tour the exchange, an experience reserved for only the very well connected. “Before going, I did not realize that getting to visit the NYSE was such a privilege and how hard it actually is to secure a guided tour like the one we were on,” said Junior Ben Preppernau.
For Preppernau, the most impactful part of this trip was networking with alumni and learning about their career journeys. “I would say that the most beneficial part of this trip for me was the conversations I was able to have with UMN alumni working in the area,” he said. “They were not only able to give us a glimpse into what it is like working their broad spectrum of jobs in the area, but they were also able to give us a great idea of what daily living is like [in NYC] in their respective career paths.”
Dukuly also valued the alumni networking experience. “It’s one thing to see people succeeding in their careers,” she said, “but it’s an entirely different feeling to know they were walking the same campus as I am from a few months, or even decades ago. It gives me a lot of hope and motivation to see people with similar experiences in my dream career.”
Many of the site visit opportunities presented on the trip would not have been possible without Economics alum Matt Mazzucchi (BA ‘04), who used his connections to ensure students got a behind the scenes look at investment banking. “Not only did Matt help to finance the trip, but he also spent a day with us out of what I can only assume is an extremely busy schedule,” said Preppernau. “The insights and time that he gave us were far and away the most valuable aspect of this trip, and I think similar charitable actions, like his, would be something that I would hope to be able to take part in if I were ever to be in a position like his. Matt really is an amazing person.” Mazzucchi is the current managing director of the Power & Utilities Group at Houlihan Lokey, where he has worked since 1997.
Applications for next year’s NYC Career Exploration trip will open Fall 2025.
Written by Whitney Oachs
