Make Connections and Research Opportunities: Amanur Rahman on how Study Abroad and the JP Morgan Mentorship Program Changed His Life

 
Amanur
Make Connections and Research Opportunities: Amanur Rahman on how Study Abroad and the JP Morgan Mentorship Program Changed His Life

Born in Bangladesh, Amanur Rahman migrated to the United States in 2010 and became the first in his family to graduate from college when he earned a degree in Economics at City College. With assistance from the SEEK program and the CUNY Chancellor Scholarship, Rahman had a transformative study abroad experience in Europe that helped him gain clarity on his career path. He then became a fellow of Project BASTA, a program for first-generation college students, and received mentorship from Liz Weikes, a seasoned finance professional through the Colin Powell School’s mentorship program in partnership with JP Morgan Chase. These opportunities helped Rahman get his start in the finance industry, where he is now building a career as a Portfolio Management Analyst at Hall Capital Partners. 

Please tell us a little about your background and where you’re from.

I was born in Bangladesh and immigrated to the US in 2010. We are a family of six, and I am the second oldest among my three brothers. We lived in Queens until 2014 and then moved to our current neighborhood in the Bronx. I am a first-generation college student and was the first in my family to obtain a college degree.

What brought you to City College?

City College's history and its reputation attracted me the most. Someone told me that CCNY was a poor man's Harvard and I, coming from a low-income family, felt connected to the college. Additionally, when I first visited the campus, I fell in love with how beautiful the campus was. I jokingly would tell my friends that I picked City College because the campus looked like the colleges from the movies.

What led you to choose the economics major at City College? 

I started college not knowing what I genuinely wanted to pursue, and I was lost. After taking a few economics classes, I developed a passion for learning how the world works and how everything was explained through simple economic models like supply and demand. As I moved to higher-level courses in the program, my interest evolved to finance and investing. I was lucky to have some of the most caring finance professors at City College who pushed me to go beyond what I thought was my limit.


 Talk about your career path. How has the Colin Powell School helped you in your career?

The first real sense of success came when I received the CUNY Chancellor Scholarship and an additional scholarship from the SEEK program to study abroad. I was accepted to an Amsterdam-based Entrepreneurship program. The study abroad program was a pivotal moment in my life. It boosted my confidence. The experience was once-in-a-lifetime. I got to test experiential start-up ideas with students from different countries, and my group's pitch was awarded the best start-up pitch in the program. I extended my stay by traveling around Europe after the conclusion of the program. When I came back to City College for the fall semester, I had a new sense of clarity about what I needed to do to be successful. 

I sought the help of the career office, and I was able to obtain an accounting internship in the summer of 2019. In the same year, the Colin Powell School matched me with an alumnus who served as a mentor and helped me plan and prepare for life after graduation. I also started building relationships with Colin Powell School professors who helped me tremendously. Just when I had lost hope for a summer internship in 2020 due to the pandemic, a professor emailed me about a virtual InTURNship program with Fiducient Advisors that helped me gain exposure to the industry I wanted to be in. Another professor recommended me for a scholarship that allowed me to participate in the Harvard Business School CORe Program in the same summer. In that same year, I was accepted to ProjectBasta, a fellowship that helps to prepare first-generation college students to land a job after graduation. Recently I received an offer from Hall Capital Partners to join as a Portfolio Management Analyst from their NY office.

Please share a significant memory or accomplishment from your time at City College.

I am thankful for the overall experience at City College and proud of the end result. I struggled a lot throughout my college life in balancing a job, full-time course load, internships, job search, and maintaining a social life. In the summer of 2019, I was working part-time at my regular job, taking a summer class, and working at an internship at the same time. Experiences like that helped me develop grit and made me who I am today. I am also proud to see many of my peers from Colin Powell School, with whom I shared many of the struggles, land amazing jobs right after college. 

How did you become a part of the JP Morgan mentoring program ?

I remember attending an info session that Colin Powell School hosted with JPM, where I was informed about the mentorship program. As a rising senior who is pursuing opportunities in the finance world, I knew I needed help and guidance to get my foot in the door. Therefore I decided to apply for the program.

Tell us about how you and your mentor worked together?

I was delighted to be mentored by Liz Weikes, who is a leader in the industry where I wanted to be. We met regularly every other week for the mentorship program. She shared how she got into finance and provided her insight about how I can get my foot in the door. For a while, I was giving up and desperately wanted any job that I could get. She helped me realize where I should focus on, encouraged me, and motivated me throughout my job search journey. She also advised me on how to present myself in some of the toughest interviews. She connected me to one of her team members to help me build a network. Right before graduation, I suddenly got multiple job offers, and she helped me figure out which of those jobs would be better for a long-term career trajectory. She knew I enjoyed reading finance news about the market, so she got me a complimentary Barrons account. We also discussed my life story and life goals.  

How did your mentor influence your career path?

The mentorship program helped me stay on course. There was a moment during my job search where I wanted to pivot and look for jobs outside of investment management/wealth management. Because of the mentorship program, I stayed the course of my job search journey, faced a lot of letdowns, close calls, and in the end, I persevered. It took a village to get me where I am today, and the mentorship program was a big part of it.

Do you have any advice you could give to current or future students?

The worst mistake I made in college was not exploring what the college has to offer and not asking for help. Colin Powell School offers so many fellowships and scholarships that can be life-changing for many students. Also, CUNY and its partners have resources that many students can utilize. It’s good to do well in classes, but I think it's more important to make connections while in college with peers, professors, and getting yourself in front of various opportunities that the school has to offer. The sooner you start making connections and researching opportunities the better prepared you are before you graduate. Also, be open to exploring your interest or a subject that has nothing to do with what you are majoring in. You never know what you will take out of it.
 

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