Success Story: Christa Ceconi ’17 in Dreyfus investment management role

Success Stories | Feb 16, 2017 | admin

Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

A Gabelli School senior knows firsthand the truth behind these words.

Christa Ceconi, BS ’17, recently accepted a one-year rotational position at Dreyfus, a subsidiary of BNY Mellon, but it took time, patience, and a risk to get the offer.

Last year, Ceconi participated in the summer analyst program at BNY Mellon in the enterprise data governance office. While the program was a departure from her interest in investment management, she still learned a lot, including how to adapt to a new environment.

When the internship was over, she faced a dilemma: apply for a job within the same team, or take a chance by applying for a role in a different department.

”What I was doing wasn’t really what I could see myself doing long-term,” she recalls, so she took the risk.

It paid off. In August, she will be a part of the 2017 Emerging Leaders Program at BNY Mellon, working in three four-month-long rotations in investment management.

With her post-graduation job secured, Ceconi is looking forward to traveling and training for a half-marathon.

She’s also anticipating the excitement of graduation week. Her parents and grandparents are Fordham alumni, so they will join her on the stage at the ceremony. She also knows her four older sisters will be proud of her, as they “are huge mentors for everything I do.”

While it’s the end of one journey, Ceconi acknowledges how important each step was. At an earlier internship at Richard Bernstein Advisors, she explored many different parts of the company. “It really gave me a broad perspective of the different areas I could pursue,” she says. She also used that experience as leverage when applying for the role at Dreyfus.

That’s why she says it’s key to “always be open to anything.” There are so many opportunities for students, but they don’t always know a lot about them at first, so it can be tempting to dismiss them.

“If you stay open-minded, you’ll always find something to spark your interest.”

And have the energy to keep running toward your goals.