In contrast to many MSF students, Luis Fontenoy already had launched his career, working for a year as a business analyst with Deloitte’s Miami office. Even though he enjoyed that role, he says, “I knew I wanted to transition to high finance.”

After looking into his options, Luis concluded that Vanderbilt offered him a reliable pathway to the Wall Street career he sought. “The main driver for my decision,” he explains, “was the great recruitment outcomes that Vanderbilt has had for previous MSFs. Almost everyone that wanted to go into investment banking has been able to do so from the program, and I think that is the most important goal I had in mind when choosing a program.”

He credits Professor MS Finance Program Director Cherrie Wilkerson for helping him get back to the US after he had returned to his native Peru in April 2020 to work for five months as an advisor to help a family-owned mining business with M&A. He describes Megan Nichols of the Career Management Center as “invaluable” in helping him build a solid plan and go through the recruitment process. “The admissions, career services and faculty have all been incredibly supportive throughout my experience at Vanderbilt,” Luis says.

He found that the supportiveness goes well beyond the staff and professors — a quality that means a lot to Luis as someone who, even though he had earned his undergraduate degree in the US, came to Owen from another country. “The Vanderbilt community has been extremely welcoming and fun to be around,” says Luis, who quickly discovered the Kung Fu Saloon as a favorite place in Nashville. “I think that being international has made no real difference [to people here], and I am glad that I feel included.”

Fun Fact: Luis enjoys participating in equestrian sports.

Almost everyone that wanted to go into investment banking has been able to do so from the program.