Brandon – Prodigy & Rainmaker

Brandon, the son of two musicians, was born in Brooklyn, New York sixteen years ago. Brandon was educated for most of his life by his mother in their home, where the lesson plans included the basic subjects like mathematics, English and history, as well as some non-traditional courses like investing and finance. At an early age, the financial markets captivated Brandon. He began investing and advising family members on their financial strategies. Brandon recalls, “I was completely fascinated by trading. Every day was stimulating because I could test a new idea and find out if I was right. Every day was a new challenge!”

Shortly after Brandon discovered his passion for finance, his father was in a serious car accident that left him in a coma for 45 days. During his father’s recovery, Brandon balanced his schoolwork with caring for his family. He spent time planning a benefit concert to pay for the expensive medical bills. This pivotal experience caused Brandon to reflect upon life and determine his priorities. Brandon says, “At that point I realized that life was too short and I could either be average or step it up and achieve my highest potential.”

Like many high school students, Brandon is currently applying to college, however he is considerably distinguished from his peers as he is also launching a hedge fund—yes, a hedge fund. Brandon continued investing after his father’s health was restored. His successes at a young age resulted in considerable media attention and peeked the interest of several investors. The hedge fund is currently in the formation process with an anticipated launch in early 2010. Brandon plans to attend a prestigious university, where he would like to study mathematics and philosophy and simultaneously develop his hedge fund.

Shayra – Academic & Healer

Shayra has always excelled academically. When she was a senior at one of New York’s most prestigious public high schools she had a 3.9 GPA and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.
Although her guidance counselor encouraged her to apply to schools like Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Columbia, “coming from a family that recently immigrated from Bangladesh and had a combined income of less than $30,000 a year severely limited the college application process.” At that time, Shayra did not have a green card, which prevented her from taking advantage of financial aid or scholarships programs. “With no federal aid and a household income low enough to qualify for food stamps, free college is the only type of college I could afford.”

Shayra was not deterred by the fact that she was unable to attend her dream school. Shayra’s passion for biology and business lead her to a path to pursue a MD/MBA and career in hospital management. Shayra is up for the challenge of pursing two post-graduate degrees. Shayra says “If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that getting two degrees was impossible, I would have been able to pay for four years at any private college. Many people confuse my ambition with desperation but I would be selling myself short if I didn’t want the best for myself—and work towards achieving it.”

David – Politician & Motivator

David is a Political Science Major, who has participated in student government for 8 years. As Cultural Affairs Commissioner, David did his best to create a greater sense of community amongst Hunter's diverse clubs and organized events that all clubs could participate in, such as the Club Fairs. He works tirelessly to make sure that the college experience is as enjoyable as possible for all students. David fights for student needs, welcomes ideas, and encourages his constituents to voice their concerns. He also interns for ABNY (A Better New York). David's goal is to pursue elective office so he can improve the lives of others.

Marissa – Role Model & Rising Star

As the middle child in a working-class family of seven, Marissa did not feel supported or encouraged when she was growing up. In her environment, little emphasis was placed on an education and her primary duty was to assist with chores and care for her younger brother, who has cerebral palsy. While Marissa took joy out of helping her family, she had dreams of leaving Texas. “My professional and academic future seemed bleak,” Marissa says. “I did not see the sparkle in my horizon until I was a teenager. In my community, pessimistic people often questioned my ability to achieve success. However, I use this negativity as motivation to keep moving forward.”

In an environment where mediocrity was the expectation, Marissa refused to be comply with those rules. Marissa worked diligently during school, extracurricular activities, and various internships, which gave her the tools she needed to be the first person in her family to attend college. Although her family discouraged her from attending college, Marissa moved to New York to attend NYU, where she is currently a sophomore studying film and television and social and cultural analysis with concentrations in Latino and gender and sexuality studies.

After graduation, Marissa wants to work in the entertainment and media industries before attending a MBA program. Marissa hopes to merge her creative and business skills in the media and entertainment industries as an editor-in-chief in print media or as a director/ producer in film and television production. However, she says her greatest hope is “to work hard so that my commitment to success will inspire other young people to take ownership of their dreams and make a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities.”

Ho Man (Jason) – Scholar & Executive

Ho Man (Jason) was inspired by his father’s journey, which shaped him into a hard working, ambitious, and motivated individual. “My father was a man of few words,” says Jason. “But his actions spoke louder and clearer than any words could.” His father was an immigrant who came to the United States with nothing more than his dreams of a better life. He started first as a cook; working long hours in an uncomfortable kitchen to eventually save enough to start a business. Despite many challenging years, Jason’s family was able to reach this goal, which the called “Lee’s Laundromat”. Witnessing his parents pour their energy into the laundromat every day from 5AM to 10PM made Jason realize that with hard work and dedication one’s achievements could be limitless.

After Jason's father passed when he was the age of 15, he became committed to continuing his father’s legacy. “Although he was never the type to give long lectures about lessons in life, he did leave me with one undying belief. Nothing is given to you in life, but with enough hard work and dedication, you should never have to utter the word ‘impossible.’”

Jason is currently a junior, pursuing a BBA at CUNY Baruch College, with a concentration in finance and investments. Jason says, “When I was choosing a major, I wanted to start on a path in which the work I put in would coincide with my level of success. A career in finance lets me do something I enjoy, as well as meet new and exciting challenges because of the ever-changing economy. I’m very eager to begin my career and I’ll do everything in my power to overcome any challenges I may face.”

Giuseppe – Pioneer & Leader

Born into humble circumstances in the Dominican Republic, Giuseppe’s parents tried their best to provide for their family, but they wanted to give their children the brightest future possible. Giuseppe recalls, “At the age of ten, our journey began as we moved to the United States, but little did we know that the land of opportunities would not come without hardship. My wardrobe consisted of second-hand clothes and school served not only to educate but also to provide the essentials like meals and a heated environment.” When Giuseppe and his family arrived they were stricken by poverty, unemployment and cultural disorientation. Giuseppe’s turning point occurred on his eighteenth birthday when he finally received his greencard. In that moment he made a commitment to never struggle financially again. He thought that entrepreneurship was the answer to his financial difficulties. He says, “I wanted to have my own company with my own rules. As I started my business, my passion for freedom grew stronger and stronger. My passion for business led me to choose Baruch as the college where I would fulfill my passion.”

While pursuing a rigorous communications and economics double major, Giuseppe also worked numerous jobs to support his family and participated in a number of campus organizations. He interned at prestigious companies in the financial, fashion and retail sectors. Based on his academic and internship experiences, Giuseppe has decided to fulfill his long-term passion of entrepreneurship by exploring the world of private equity.

“Although my family has yet to experience financial stability, I believe that my hunger, ambition, and drive will lead me to success. My current circumstances are just that—current. I promised myself to work hard for as long as air still enters my lungs. One day, my family and I will be released from poverty, and the key to that freedom is in my hands.”

Weedly – Survivor & Advocate

Growing up in the Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn, life was anything but easy for Weedly. Drugs and crime plagued his community, but Weedly was able to avoid that path because his parents, who were recent Haitian immigrants, instilled in him values of hard work, education, and above all, love for his community. They also ensured that education was Weedly’s top priority. Weedly says, “I was always aware of the role of education in long-term success. Knowing the statistics about graduation and incarceration rates for young men in similar situations, I took it as a personal challenge help others when I had the chance.”

Today Weedly is a senior at New York University, with a double major in economics and management. Upon graduation, he plans to pursue a career in management consulting because he wants exposure to a range of industries and organizational issues. Additionally, Weedly aspires to start education and financial literacy non-profits in economically disadvantaged communities. Weedly says, “I strongly believe that the lessons and skills learned in corporate America can make a huge difference in impoverished neighborhoods across the United States.” Eventually, he would like to open a school with a rigorous curriculum focusing on alternative histories, math, and leadership, for students in low-income areas. “Given the proper environment and resources, anyone, anywhere can reach their goals and I plan to do everything possible to help others achieve.”

Sheila – Explorer & Mentor

Shelia grew up in Henrico, a small town outside of Richmond, Virginia. As a child, Sheila felt unchallenged and discouraged by her environment. Sheila says “I found little variety in the people around me; I seemed to be stuck in a slow-paced community. I knew that I was different because I spent my time at recess reading books instead of playing kickball, and my closest companion happened to be my brother who is five and a half years my senior. Together, we supported and challenged each other intellectually, giving one another hope that we could escape the small town cycle—the cycle of being stuck.” When Sheila was in the 7th grade, her brother stunned her family with his acceptance to Harvard University, which further fueled her drive to change her circumstances and intensified her quest for knowledge.

During high school, Shelia was constantly disappointed by some of her classmates, who she believed “had no appreciation for the limitless opportunities they could achieve by doing well in school.” Sheila transformed this frustration into motivation and started tutoring other high school students. Her goal was to inspire her mentees to have greater expectations for their futures. Through her mentorship experiences, Sheila realized that one person could make a meaningful impact on the lives of others. “A mentor is a catalyst for people to reach their full potential. They help students reach goals that they might not have otherwise seen for themselves. My brother was my mentor, and I have and will continue to serve as a mentor to others.” Today, Sheila, a freshman at Columbia University, is still in the process of determining her professional goals, but she intends to explore careers in both business and law.