Seven full-time MBA students from the class of 2012 have been awarded Haas Investment Banking Fellowships, which will cover part of their tuition and match them with alumni mentors.
The fellows are Federico Acabbi, Christian Eder, Albert Kim, Edward Lee, Mariana Silva, Serge Stanek, and Gautam Tevatia.
The fellowship program, now in its fifth year, awards students a $5,000 tuition credit, renewable during their second year following successful summer internships in the field, as well as a subsidy for school-organized treks to Wall Street or Hong Kong. The fellows also get preference in finance courses and are paired with alumni at investment banks in both the U.S. and abroad, who serve as mentors.
"The number one benefit far and away is the pairing with a mentor–someone who is already in the field and usually has a number of years of experience at a bank that's on your target list," says Sam Snyder, MBA 11, a fellow last year.
Snyder's mentor was a Goldman Sachs vice president and Haas alumna, who helped him with everything from interview training to the learning about the firm's culture. She also helped organize an afternoon for Snyder to interview with several people at the firm's San Francisco offices to improve his chances for success in the summer internship recruiting process.
"It was pretty much her effort that put me in a position to close the deal before they came on campus for recruiting," says Snyder, who will work for Goldman Sachs after graduation.
Investment banking fellows are selected in a competitive process based on their knowledge and commitment to careers in investment banking, their relevant experience, and their ability to present themselves as strong candidates for the field.
The fellowships are funded by the CJ White Scholarship Fund. The selection committee includes current fellows as well as representatives from the admissions, student services, and career services offices.