”Given that I studied math, statistics, computer science and economics for my A levels, I had an easy transition from high school to my first year of university, which was easy from an academic standpoint. From an interpersonal perspective, Avenor has taught me the ability to interact with people coming from different cultural backgrounds and having had the chance to study in an international environment made it easier for me to interact and make friends abroad.
I’ll also have to say that the professional experience Avenor offered me via two internships was exponential for me to secure an internship abroad at Bank of America.” – Daniel, Class of 2020
Daniel, member of the second cohort of Avenor graduates, is making the most of college life while keeping his sights set on his long-term goals, much like he did in high school.
Avenor: Where are you now, and what do you study?
Daniel: I’m a 3rd year student at Bocconi University in Milan, studying Computer Science and Economics. However, for the past semester I’ve been an exchange student studying at Manchester University, where I took some interesting courses including financial derivatives.
Avenor: How did you take the decision to study Computer Science and Economics?
Daniel: I first applied for a Finance Bachelor at Bocconi, but later changed my mind. This was after I realized that the industry in which I would like to work, more specifically trading, has become heavily dependent on technology. Hence, I decided to re-apply for an Economics and Computer Science major, and I don’t regret my choice. The course I chose at Bocconi has been applied and practical, or at least more applied than the other available options 😊. The course helped me improve my coding skills but also get a theoretical understanding of many machine learning and computer science concepts.
Avenor: How did Avenor prepare you for the college experience?
Daniel: Given that I studied math, statistics, computer science and economics for my A levels, I had an easy transition from high school to my first year of university, which was easy from an academic standpoint. From an interpersonal perspective, Avenor has taught me the ability to interact with people coming from different cultural backgrounds and having had the chance to study in an international environment made it easier for me to interact and make friends abroad.
I’ll also have to say that the professional experience Avenor offered me via two internships was exponential for me to secure an internship abroad at Bank of America.
Avenor: What advice do you have for our current students? What should they pay attention to? What should they do better during high school?
Daniel: Life is getting harder because it gets real. Hence, any advance preparation is more than welcome. My biggest advice is for people to try to excel at something they really like. School is important, but it is only a requirement, so it is better if you go above and beyond what you learn in class for those subjects that interest you.
Also, I wasn’t one of those students who had lots of fun in high school, but I can definitely say that the better I got at what I wanted to do professionally, the more fun I started to have. So, the message would be to not worry if you are working too hard now because your work will eventually pay off and you will also get the chance to have fun.
Avenor: If you had to mention a person, an experience, or an opportunity from your college life, which decisively influenced / helped / impressed you, what would it be?
Daniel: Overall, I would say the university life has been an experience itself and being able to make friends and discover Italian and British cultures has been fantastic. The most important thing is that university gave me the opportunity to study something that was close to my interests while also acting as a smooth transition into real life.
Avenor: What are your co-curricular activities in college?
Daniel: As well as I did in high school, apart from the normal classes I took in university, I got involved in co-curricular activities related to my interests. Thus, I joined two student associations: a financial markets club and an asset management club whose leader I became after a year.
Together with two friends, I also tried to launch a start-up in the summer between my first and second year, but I quickly discovered that this is something which requires a lot of experience and commitment, something that I would still like to try, maybe later on in my professional life.
Avenor: If you had to send a message to one of your teachers at Avenor who influenced you in a decisive way at some point, what would that message be?
Daniel: I think that all members of the educational team at Avenor have been supportive throughout my time spent in middle school and high school. However, I would like to thank in particular two people whose support has been exponential for my development.
The first person is Mihaela Ancuta, who has been a great supporter since the first day I came to Avenor. During the admission process I had to solve some math problems, 40% of which I messed up by confusing the cotangent and tangent concepts. In spite of my mistake, Ms. Ancuta saw my potential and offered me the chance to join the class. From that moment on, she has been a constant supporter who encouraged me to believe in my passion, helped me excel at math and guided me throughout all the challenges I faced in high school. For this reason, I will be forever grateful.
The second person has been Diana Segarceanu, who has been a great role model for someone aiming to be a successful business person in the future. She has constantly championed my deep interest with financial markets and has encouraged me many times to talk about my passion but also introduced me to important people in the industry, including Peter Barta and Valentin Neacșu. Most importantly, I am grateful for the supportive environment Ms. Segarceanu has created at Avenor, one which truly encourages students to pursue their passion regardless of what that might be.
