HOMETOWN: Meriden, Connecticut MAJOR: Finance WCSU DEGREE:  Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance ACTIVITIES: Power forward on Women’s Basketball Team, Student Athletes Advisory Council and Peer Academic Support Services INTERNSHIPS: Interning full-time at IBM as a Global Indirect Tax Technology Analyst

HONORS AND AWARDS: LEC Winter All-Academic Team from 2015-18 and was placed on the Dean’s
list multiple times

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Nicole Mierzejewski decided to attend WestConn because it was close to her home in Meriden. “I am a family-orientated person, so this was an important factor for me,” she says. “The college was also in a great location due to its close proximity to New York City. Since I intend to work there one day, I believed it would be a good way to get my foot in the door for opportunities in the city while living on campus. Furthermore, I was recruited to play for the basketball team, which is another passion of mine. The team created a sense of family and assisted in my transition into the college life from high school.”

When making the decision to major in finance, Mierzejewski says there were many factors involved. “I had always had an interest in how investments worked and I also had a passion for numbers. My parents helped me in this decision-making process.”

Mierzejewski says many individuals come to mind when it comes to mentors at WestConn. “Two who stood out for me were my finance professors Carol Huang and Edward O’Malley. I consider these two individuals to be mentors to me because they pushed me to strive to be the best possible version of myself. These professors cared about the success of their students, and through them I learned skills that I will be able to apply not only in my personal life, but also in my career working in the field of finance.”

Asked what she will remember most about her WestConn experience, Mierzejewski says, “During my time at WestConn I have had many experiences that I will always remember. One of my most memorable, however, was the time I spent being involved with the Women’s Basketball Team. Being able to travel around the country with my friends playing the sport I love was definitely a highlight of my college experience.”

After graduation, Mierzejewski says, “Graduate school is definitely a possibility in the near future to obtain an MBA; however, the end goal would be to ultimately see myself working for a financial corporation in New York City. I do hope that during my career I am able to travel around the country and the globe with my job so that I have the chance to experience different cultures.”

Her advice to new students entering WCSU is: “Get involved in extracurricular activities. Four years may seem like a long time when you are just starting out, but it does truly fly by, so get involved in as much as you can because it will provide you with the fullest college experience and you will meet friends that you will have for a lifetime. Also the best piece of advice I ever received was to sit at the front of the classroom and get to know my professors because they are really there to help you.”