Student Spotlight: Co-Valedictorian Clara Gastaldi
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Reflecting on her college years at the Gabelli School, Clara Gastaldi, co-valedictorian of the Gabelli School’s Class of 2019, said that choosing Fordham was the best decision of her life. The business administration major pursued two concentrations—finance and marketing—along with a minor in fashion studies, and maintained a 4.0 GPA while playing Division 1 soccer throughout her undergraduate years.
Originally from Argentina, Clara thanked her parents for teaching her how to “embrace the unknown” when they moved the family to Atlanta 20 years ago. “In the same way that the United States welcomed my family, Fordham University and Fordham Athletics took me in when I transferred to the Bronx from the University of Georgia after my freshman year,” she said. “I will be forever grateful for that.”
Among the highlights of her education were the support of her academic advisors and frequent career fairs that landed her several internships. One, with Ross Stores, eventually led to a full-time job offer. Gastaldi accepted, and began her new post as an assistant buyer for the company after graduation.
“I was originally in boys toys, buying Nerf guns, transformers, you name it,” she says.
“My final placement is in travel accessories,” adding that the company rotates buyers to different departments to benefit from their fresh perspectives. “It’s a great experience and a great culture.” Though she’s not working in fashion just yet, Ross Stores offers many opportunities to head in that direction, she said.
Gastaldi also completed internships at fashion brand Rag & Bone, among others. The first was with a start-up that gave her the opportunity to do everything from marketing and business development to customer service. When she wasn’t working or playing on the soccer field, she supported her peers as a student athlete tutor in statistics, accounting, and Spanish.
In her introduction for Clara at this year’s undergraduate awards ceremony, Dean Donna Rapaccioli, PhD, commended Gastaldi for “rising to the challenges of time management, leadership, team work, organization and determination” during her years as a student athlete.
Gastaldi transferred from the University of Georgia to Fordham as a sophomore, and says the transition couldn’t have been more seamless thanks to the deans who helped her plot her course from day one.
“It was a good fit for me all around,” Gastaldi said. “Fordham makes it easy to be a student and an athlete. I had the best of both worlds. I could play soccer in an environment that is extremely competitive, but one that also values academics. The coach and staff put academics at the forefront of everything we did.”
Although she grew up in Georgia, Gastaldi spent many months each year in Buenos Aires with her family, including her grandparents who flew in for her graduation. Now, she is happy to make New York City her home as she writes the next chapter of her life.
