DASNY is welcoming its second class of fellows taking part in DASNY’s Public Finance Diversity Fellowship for graduating college students. Alex Sirdine, a Baruch College graduate, and Maria Carrasco, a graduate of the University at Albany, recently joined the DASNY team.
The mission of the fellowship is to build a financial services industry that better reflects the people it serves, and to create and strengthen opportunities to advance diversity and inclusion within the workforce.
The fellowship consists of two six-month terms. The first term is spent in DASNY’s Albany office serving as an analyst in the public finance division. The second term is spent alongside one of DASNY’s investment bank partners in Albany or New York City. Alex Sirdine will be working with Siebert, Cisneros, Shank & Co., LLC, and Maria Carrasco will be working with Jefferies, LLC.
This second set of fellows would not have been possible without the success of the first.
Recently, DASNY President and CEO, Dr. Gerrard P. Bushell, reconnected with DASNY’s inaugural fellows to discuss their recent experiences at their respective firms. And here’s what they had to say:
GB: What drew you to the fellowship?
DK:“I was in a Women in Business organization in college, and was the head of organizing volunteer events. I was working with non-profits, and saw public finance as a way to give back to the community.”
GB: What advice do you have for future fellows?
DK:“Keep an open mind. Try to learn as much as you can. Ask questions, and be involved.”
GB: Tell us about life at Barclays Capital Inc.
DK: “I’m being challenged every day and learning new things. This is where I want to be. I want to continue growing and learning.”
GB: If there were one word to describe your experience at DASNY, what would it be? And why?
CT: Transformational. The fellowship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that had such a positive impact on my life. I was able to establish a sense of purpose in the early stages of my career.
GB: What drew you to this field?
CT: The majority of my family members are entrepreneurs in the construction industry so the fundamentals of finance have been instilled in me since I was a child…During my undergraduate studies [at Medgar Evers College], I really began to understand the importance of finance and the role it plays in one's life.
GB: Was there someone at DASNY had a positive impact on you?
CT: My supervisor, Matthew Bergin was a very informative and fun person to work with during my six months. Also, [Managing Director of Public Finance and Portfolio Monitoring] Portia Lee is an amazing woman. She works very hard and has been a great role model for me as a woman entering the industry.
