Entering the Finance World
Writer: Mia A. / Editor: Ariana W. / Photographer: Nadya R.
It’s not every day you meet a woman who represents the very core of what it means to be a sorority woman, but that is exactly what the sisters of Kappa Delta (KD) feel about Gabi K. Balancing an incredible GPA, multiple extracurriculars, and career obligations, it seems like Gabi is doing it all.
Originally, Gabi wasn’t always set to be a Seminole! She had initially accepted her aspirations to be a doctor as a pre-med student at the University of Florida. However, once the pandemic hit, Gabi realized that she was intrigued by finance after hearing more about her dad’s career. Her father has a career in finance and following many conversations about how COVID-19 affected the finances of Universal Studios. These conversations led Gabi to decide it was the path she wanted to pursue and accepted her offer into Florida State’s Honors Program and learned more about the James M. Seneff Business Honors Program. Gabi decided to double major in Finance and Marketing and was chosen to be in the program her freshman year.
After talking with Gabi, it was clear her biggest inspiration is her family. Hearing about the hardships her mother went through coming to the United States from Brazil gave her a unique perspective on setting and working to reach her goals in life. Gabi’s mother came to pursue her dreams and study in America, where she met her dad while they attended West Virginia University. Gabi explained how her parents have worked very hard to provide an amazing life for their daughters and it shows in the way she strives for excellence every day.
“My dad is the hardest working person I know and has instilled his work ethic into my sister and me. And my mom is the most selfless and kind, always supporting me in anything I set my mind to. I owe all of my accomplishments in my life to them, and they keep me going!”
Gabi knew in high school that she would want to join a Panhellenic chapter and when she saw her older sister also be initiated into the sisterhood of KD here at FSU, it further solidified her desire to be involved in Panhellenic life. Before her sister, no one in her family had participated in Greek life, so seeing how KD became such a light in her sister’s life is the reason she decided to go to FSU and go through Primary Recruitment. Gabi had a wonderful experience going through Recruitment and coincidentally also felt most welcome and at home in KD.
During Gabi’s freshman year, she worked very hard to become as involved as possible and joined the Seneff program, Seminole Student Boosters’ Event Committee, and Strike Magazine’s Layout Team. In KD, Gabi became the Assistant Vice President of Finance, which allowed to put her interest in finance to good use to help her chapter run smoothly. Out of all her extracurricular experiences at Florida State, she explained the most rewarding organization would easily have to be Noles on Wall Street. Gabi joined her sophomore year in order to learn more about the recruitment process for investment banking and has stayed involved by joining the Executive Board as Head of Logistics this year.
Noles on Wall Street is a yearlong program that is built to guide students through the recruitment process for investment banking. It is a very rigorous program, and typically only takes 10-12 members a year. It has helped Gabi grow relationships with other women involved in Greek life as well as individuals with like-minded career aspirations. It has also grown a wonderful network, connecting students with alumni on Wall Street. Gabi first heard about the program from other members in KD: Mallory S. and Anna W., who had both been in the program before her which piqued Gabi’s initial interest. Gabi detailed that having the ability to sit down at lunch and talk about the program with a sister was such a nice experience and inspired her to pursue the organization.
“I am very proud to say that for the past four years, members of Kappa Delta have been chosen to be a part of the program, which I think has been a great opportunity to gain mentorship and networking in the club and in our chapter,” said Gabi.
Gabi explained how she knew from the moment that she signed up to be a Finance major, that she would be a minority in the industry. “When I first revealed my interest in investment banking my freshman year, I was told by a mentor that I should reconsider pursuing something that would ‘fit my interests more, like marketing or communications.”
These conversations immediately showed Gabi the harsh reality of the inherent bias towards women in the finance world. This past summer, she was the only woman in her assigned work team of over twenty men in her internship. While Gabi doesn’t think there is a large inequality in the industry, she explained that there are far fewer women that end up pursuing finance as a long-term career. “Overall, I believe anything a man can do, a woman can do, and it should be seen as an even playing field.”
Through her internship, she has found role models in executive women in finance who have guided Gabi on her path and bestowed helpful advice about being a woman in a male-dominated career. This summer, Gabi has lined up an internship at Raymond James in their Real Estate Investment Banking Division In St. Petersburg, Florida, which is the path she plans to pursue after graduating.