Jackson Wikstrom

Why did you decide to attend Saunders College of Business at RIT?

I was thrilled at the opportunity to experience a university thoughtfully advancing their business school through their fostering of an engaging, unforgettable student experience. Also, I appreciated the ability to talk with Dean Mozrall and other faculty during an open house to gain in-depth insight. Furthermore, the ability to utilize a top-notch Co-op program was important to me as I wanted to make sure to gain real-world experience to apply learning objectives to.

What's great about your co-op?

My co-op was great because I was able to gain a lot of hands-on experience. I utilized Excel to create spreadsheets and models to optimize Capital Markets data; integrating Bloomberg Terminal data into analyses. As a Spanish minor, I represented FHLBanks, Office of Finance, at the Hispanic Latino Professional Association Career Fair, engaging with applicants in Spanish. Also, I led other HR initiatives from job template redesigns to creating an internship program guide to aid in goal-setting objectives and reflections that was adopted across the entire internship program. Ultimately, I gained insight into the Federal Home Loan Banks, Office of Finance, a vital part of our nation's financial system. I was excited to be the first RIT student to intern at FHL and look forward to them connecting with RIT in the future!

In what ways has Saunders/RIT prepared you for the job market?

Saunders has prepared me to be globally competitive with holistic industry and market perspectives anchored in practical skills. The work-based education paired with extensive cross-disciplinary collaboration has meaningfully increased my technology acumen and overall university engagement. I also had the privilege to serve as President of Financial Management Association bringing students from various RIT colleges together to manage a $200,000 portfolio.