I originally started my college journey as a computer science major but overtime I became more interested in business after speaking with friends from finance backgrounds, I started reading the WSJ and staying up to date with technology M&A news. However, I did not want to completely abandon a technology background, so I decided to switch my major to Business and Technology Management (BTM) with a concentration in financial strategy. BTM is a STEM based program within NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering which ensures a strong background and foundation in technology while also integrating the intricacies of finance. As I became more immersed in the financial world, my affinity towards finance grew and I wanted to find a way to eventually merge the two worlds. My financial accounting professor who was previously an investment banker served as a mentor to me and explained to me how I could use my unique background to my advantage. I knew that once entering into the finance world but more specifically investment banking there would not be many people that looked like me. Oftentimes when entering interview waiting rooms, I walked into a room of peers that looked nothing like me. And I was interviewed by people who looked nothing like me. However, as someone that has always been the only black person, the only person of color, in such an environment, I used it to my advantage. I have used the uniqueness of being a black female to empower myself and others, it drives and guides me in everything I do today.
I started doing more research to collate the two worlds of finance and technology. I quickly became interested in Goldman Sachs risk management programs. I found risk to be a collaborative dynamic environment that utilized strong analytical skills; but most importantly to me, risk management enacts lasting change in a firm. Risk is such a crucial and critical function of a firm, it drives how the firm takes in and manages threats to its holdings. Risk management pontificates the black experience in the professional world. The importance of analyzing your own situation to orient yourself, the ability to create lasting change in an organization through sharing unique experiences and skills are integral to both experiences. So having the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing advancement of a robust risk management program at Goldman Sachs, I thought was the perfect fit for me!
Sacha Francois, is a passionate, hard working, intelligent, Business Technology Management student at Tandon School of Engineering. This summer she will be an intern analyst at Goldman Sachs.
You can connect with Sacha here.