Summer Fellowship to Immerse Dominican Student in Corporate Management World
With so many students from across the country applying, being accepted into JPMorgan Chase’s program for Latinx students was a long shot, Kiara Valenzuela believed.
But that didn’t stop the Dominican University sophomore from submitting her application late last year.
“I just decided to go for it,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is a great opportunity. Let me just see what happens.’”
The outcome was what Valenzuela, who is majoring in marketing and management, had hoped for: She was selected for JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Hispanics and Latinos Fellowship Program and is headed to Plano, Texas this summer for hands-on experience in the banking and business world.
Valenzuela was one of 172 students to be chosen for the summer fellowship program out of the 1,007 applications that were submitted, said Erika Rivera, associate for campus recruiting with JPMorgan Chase & Co.
As part of the General Management and Corporate Strategy Program and the Commercial Banking Innovation Development Program, Valenzuela said she expects to learn about global finance, business management, human resources, corporate analyst development, auditing and leadership, while also taking on challenging projects. Working with small businesses in the Plano area will also be part of the paid program.
The aim of the program, according to JPMorgan Chase, is “to build early professional development skills and positively impact the future of people’s lives, our firm and our industry.”
Valenzuela has also set her own goals.
“I’m looking forward to sharpening my skills and gaining confidence and overall knowledge of what the business world is like,” she said.
The Brennan Career Development Program at Dominican was helpful in preparing Valenzuela for a real-life experience in the corporate world, particularly lessons in preparing for job interviews, crafting resumes and dressing professionally, she said.
“It really made me feel confident,” Valenzuela said of the program.
“I’m happy for Kiara and I know she’s going to have a great experience with JPMorgan Chase,” said Lisa Malvin, assistant director of career programs and internships with Brennan School of Business. “She’s going to do a deep dive into corporate strategy and general management, which will be a fantastic experience for her future career. I hope she is able to network and meet some amazing mentors that she can learn from in the future.”
In anticipation of moving to Texas for six weeks. Valenzuela applied for an Excellence in Experiential Learning (ExcEL) Scholar Award from Dominican and was awarded a $2,000 scholarship. The funding will help with housing costs, according to her application.
Valenzuela said she isn’t certain of the career path she would like to follow once she receives her degree from Dominican, but she is hopeful her participation in the Advancing Hispanics and Latinos Fellowship Program will help make the decision easier.
“I’ll actually get to learn what I really enjoy and narrow down my options,” she said.
She also hopes to use the knowledge she will gain to start new events and programs for Dominican’s Women in Business Club, which she developed with fellow student Lesly Salguero. The aim of the club is to help students learn about financial literacy, prepare for careers in business, and make connections within the areas they hope to work.
“Having discussions and educating on how we can advance Hispanic and Latinos within finance is very important, especially for a Hispanic Serving Institution,” Valenzuela added.