Meet Manny Gonzalez, a junior majoring in finance. Manny has had quite the exceptional finance journey, so far and is a prime example of how perseverance,dedication, and belief in yourself is worth more than any medal or degree. When Manny >was in high school, he was labeled an “at-risk youth” and ended up dropping out. He subsequently went to a military school where he attempted to earn his GED but did not pass. After military school, Manny retook his GED three more times, ultimately passing and found himself asking, “what’s next?”. Shortly thereafter, Manny began looking into higher education options. He knew he wanted to pursue a career in business and after extensive research, he discovered DePaul’s remarkable finance and real estate program. DePaul’s expansive reach in the finance and proximity to the business district in Chicago was also an appealing factor for Manny.
Looking to connect with some current students for perspective and advice, Manny reached out to Luis Gallegos, a recent DePaul and Keeley Academy alum, who was a student at the time. It was Luis who introduced Manny to the Keeley Academy, where Manny now studies with a cohort of 40 other like-minded and driven finance students. Manny is interested in pursuing a career in investment banking, specifically in middle markets. His previous internship experience includes work with the Greenwood Project in which Manny rotated between two internships that helped to diversify and refine his career goals. Through Greenwood, Manny interned at Option Pit and then at William Blair, a global investment banking and asset managing firm, where he led a team that worked on DCF models, as well as annual and semiannual returns. Manny has secured another internship for the summer of 2022, where he will be a public finance investment banking intern at Piper Sandler in Minneapolis.
Outside of school and finance internships, Manny is a member of DePaul Inclusion in Finance, where he hopes to apply to be a board member, vice president, or president of the organization in next academic year. Manny also works as a truck driver instructor at America CDL, where he has been for the past six months. Previously, Manny worked as a truck driver for ten years. He says that managing school and work-life balance has been a challenge, but it is one that he knows will benefit him in the long run. These past few years at DePaul have shown him what he is capable of managing and it is preparing him for the busy life of a financier.
When reflecting on his academic experience, Manny’s favorite class thus far at DePaul has been the Career Development course (FIN 250) with Professor Joseph Kosinski. Professor Kosinski provides a wide array of knowledge that Manny has been able to apply in other courses and internships. He says Kosinski’s passion for teaching and helping students is evident in every email, lecture and meeting. Manny highly recommends the Finance Career Development class to students who are looking for practical and honest advice about their future career.
Manny is passionate about helping others through education. He sees himself coming back to DePaul after he establishes himself in the professional world to mentor and help to recruit new students to the Finance major and Keeley Academy program. Just as his mentor, Johnathan Pimentel, from the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPHA) has helped him, Manny wants to do the same for others. A piece of advice Manny would like to offer students is to, “make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. You are only in college for a brief amount of time, so seizing each chance to further your career goals and grow as an individual will set you apart in the industry”. He also encourages students to find a group of people that want to see you succeed and will guide you through your time at DePaul and beyond.
Manny is an incredibly humble, kind, and inspirational student. There is no doubt he will make a name for himself in the industry! We wish you the best of luck, Manny!