2018 Best Brightest Lexi Pae, University of Wisconsin

2018 Best Brightest: Lexi Pae, University of Wisconsin by: Jeff Schmitt on April 01, 2018 | 0 Comments Comments 1,379 Views April 1, 2018Lexi (Alexis) PaeUniversity of WisconsinI’m like a tea bag – I do my best work in hot water.Fun fact about yourself: I naturally mirror write (write backwards)Hometown: Racine, WisconsinHigh School: Phillips Exeter AcademyMajor: Management and Human Resources (Specialization in Entrepreneurship)Favorite Business Course: Venture Creation, Diversity in Organizations, and Investment Banking Capital MarketsExtracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:President, Investment Banking Club (IBC)Choreographer and Selected Member, Optima DanceSelected Member, All Ways Forward CampaignCo-Writer, The Exeter Bulletin (quarterly Alumni magazine)Dean’s List, 4 Semesters (UW-Madison)Deloitte Women’s Initiative and Next GenerationSouthern Methodist University (SMU) NCAA Dance TeamSelected Member, Bo ulevard Investment Group (SMU)Honor Roll with High Distinction, 2 Semesters (SMU)New Century Scholar and BBA Scholar (SMU)Where have you interned during your college career? Senior Spring (Current): ShopStyle | San Francisco, CA | Rotational Marketing Intern Participating as a selected member of Miami University’s Digital Innovation ProgramSenior Fall: Adit Yourself (Selected to be part of Gener8tors Fall 2017 gBeta cohort a global top 15 accelerator program) | Madison, WI | Co-Director of SalesJunior Summer: Goldman Sachs Co. | New York, NY | Investment Banking Summer Analyst (Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Group)Sophomore Summer: Deutsche Bank | New York, NY | Investment Banking Summer Analyst (Leveraged Finance Group)Freshman Summer: ATT Adworks | New York, NY | Sales and Operations InternWhere will you be working after graduation? Goldman, Sachs Co. (New York, NY) as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications group.Who is your favorite professor? There are so many amazing professors from Wisconsin to choose from! Maria Triana and John Eckhardt stand out. Professor Triana taught a course about diversity in organizations. She gracefully handles sensitive topics and conducts a collaborative classroom.   Professor Eckhardt encourages his students to pursue real-life applications of classroom topics. He also goes the extra mile for his students by connecting them to Badger alumni.What did you enjoy most about your business school? I love my business school because they both empower their students and give them enough independence to explore. I felt supported in both my career and academic ambitions by the many resources the business school provides in terms of academic advisors, career advisors, the alumni office, and professors. However, in my major, I was also given enough independence to take additional finance and accounting classes, be a part of a startup, and complete my senior spring in San Franc isco for real world experience.What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Besides learning the accounting and financial basics of business, I have learned how to think and approach different situations.   A business education at Wisconsin gives you the critical thinking tools to analyze problems with different frameworks.What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field?  Even though I will be entering full-time in a finance position, I chose to major in management and human resources with a concentration in entrepreneurship. Hence, I think it’s important to be thoughtful about your major and what you want to learn during your four years.â€Å"If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying†¦Psychology. Philosophy, or Math.†What has surprised you most about majoring in business? The breadth of what I have learned has surprised me most. When I initially thought about majoring in busi ness, I didn’t realize the many aspects of business I could learn about.Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? I was interested in studying business in college because it seemed like a major that offered a practical skill set.Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? As the first elected female President of the Investment Banking Club (IBC), I led a successful recruitment cycle for my class and improved alumni relations. We had almost 100% placement in my class for investment banking summer internships, and under new recruitment efforts we increased female representation in the class below by almost 50%.If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the business school?  I would hold more events for students to connect with each other and alumni.   I think there’s so much to learn from the wonderful community of Badgers!Which classmate do you most admire? I truly admire my fellow In vestment Banking Club (IBC) executive board, Charlie Johnson, Oscar Segar, Brett Cychosz and John Im, and involved IBC peers, Anna Burkhardt and Nick Birney. The effort they have put into their careers and into the club is worthy of recognition!Who would you most want to thank for your success? My family supports and teaches me so much.   My mom, dad, and two younger sisters are my center and I could not succeed without them!   Outside my immediate family, Jamie Marsh has been the best career advisor, club advisor to IBC, and mentor. She goes above and beyond in her role to help students and alumni and is truly the key to connecting the business school to the professional world. I would not have been able to succeed without Jamie and I could not be more grateful for her thoughtful guidance and support throughout my time at Wisconsin.What would your theme song be? â€Å"I Was Here† by Beyoncà ©What are the top two items on your bucket list? I am the type of person that tr ies to pursue anything I really want to experience.   With that being said, my bucket list is quite short and constantly changing!Favorite book: The GiverFavorite movie: GladiatorFavorite vacation spot: Since my sisters and I live in different states and my friends are spread out because of boarding school, my favorite vacation spot is wherever friends and family are.What are your hobbies? Dance, Fitness, Dogs, TED Talks, Origami, and CrochetWhat made Lexi such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?In my 12+ years of working in the Wisconsin School of Business, there exists a small group of students and alumni who have left a truly lasting impression. Lexi is among these people. Since my initial meeting with her as a sophomore at UW-Madison, Lexi was motivated to work hard, be a team player and do what she could to make the student experience even more impactful for future Badgers seeking a meaningful and transformative collegiate experience.As an investment banking-bound st udent, Lexi joined our Wisconsin Investment Banking Club which is a very highly selective group designed to prepare students for careers on Wall Street. Within one year, Lexi was elected as the first ever IBC female president and implemented some wonderful new initiatives which helped diversify our students admitted into the organization. Even after securing her internships with Deutsche Bank (rising junior summer) and Goldman Sachs (rising senior summer), she remained invested in helping her peers realize their potential in securing employment in this competitive industry by conducting mock interviews and connecting these students to her network.She has paved her own way throughout her life and has continued to seek challenging experiences, which is evidenced by her participation in Miami University’s digital innovations program in San Francisco. I had the privilege of helping her leverage our Wisconsin alumni network in the Bay Area to secure an internship in the start-up s pace which will help her become even more prepared for her full-time position with Goldman Sachs New York in the Technology, Media and Telecom group upon graduation.Even prior to her upcoming graduation in May, Lexi has served on our student campaign committee helping to secure philanthropic commitments from her peers to help the Wisconsin School of Business thrive in the future. I have no doubt that Lexi will remain involved in alumni campus engagements including talent acquisition for Goldman Sachs, mentorship of our students and so much more. I am proud to know her and privileged to have had the opportunity to help guide her through her career decision-making processes.†Jamie Marsh Director of BBA Career Services Wisconsin School of BusinessDONT MISS: THE BEST BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2018 THE COMPLETE LIST Page 1 of 11