By the time she completed her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt, Celina Sattelkau ranked as one of the 100 best golfers in the world. She was a multi-year All-American (both as a golfer and a student-athlete). During her junior year, she helped Vanderbilt win an NCAA Regional Championship and reach the Nationals. Representing her native country, she helped Team Germany claim a Bronze Medal at the 2022 World Championship.

Unsurprisingly, her next career step is to play golf professionally.

But first, because NCAA athletes were granted an extra year of eligibility to make up for canceled seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic, Celina had an opportunity to continue playing for Vanderbilt through the 2023-24 season, while simultaneously pursuing an advanced degree.

She chose to apply to the Vanderbilt Business MS Finance program to gain skills to pursue her long-term interest: climate change mitigation. As an undergraduate, Celina minored in climate change studies. She was part of a winning Green-a-thon team that suggested using kinetic tiles around Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Student Center to generate energy for costs below market rate.

During her studies, she says, “I realized that, along with grassroots movements and bottom-up actions, there are a lot of structural issues that need to be addressed top-down—and that finance is an important factor. I was captivated by the concept of green bonds and their potential to finance the transition toward a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.”

Celina’s focus pivoted after the MSF program equipped her to delve deeper into the topic. “I discovered a special interest in corporate valuation rather than bonds,” she explains. “Engaging in corporate valuation projects—particularly focusing on a solar firm and a water technology company—was eye-opening. Quantifying the impacts of environmental sustainability and climate change and translating these crucial factors into tangible financial metrics has been immensely fascinating.”

“The hands-on experience [of the MSF program] has broadened my understanding and sharpened what I aspire to pursue beyond my professional golf career, offering a clearer path to making a meaningful impact at the intersection of finance and environmental stewardship. The Vanderbilt MSF program has been instrumental in sculpting my future.”

Fun Fact: Before dedicating her attention to golf, Celina played violin for over a dozen years.

The Vanderbilt MSF program has been instrumental in sculpting my future.