Name: Isabel Braverman
Majors: Environmental Studies and Finance
Hometown: Simsbury, CT
Fun fact about yourself:
I once walked a marathon in Madrid!
Why did you decide to major in business?
I am extremely passionate about pursuing a career in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change, so I decided to major in Finance and Environmental Studies through the Altman Program in International Studies and Business. Since businesses are largely responsible for climate change, I wanted to gain both knowledge of and credibility within the business world because in order to fix a problem, you first have to understand it.
What was your favorite course and why?
My favorite course was my business capstone class taught by Professor Dirk Wild. This class allowed me to apply my education into actual cases, helping me with the transition from academia to real-world application. I also had the honor of competing in the Tulane Stewart Foundation Case Competition with my incredible team.
Who is your favorite business professor? What made them special?
My favorite professor was Professor Nishad Kapadia, who taught Climate Change, ESG, and Financial Markets. I appreciated Professor Kapadia’s passion for sustainability and admired how he was able to create such a forward-thinking course.
Did you participate in any extracurricular activities, community work or leadership roles at Tulane?
On campus, I was a member of the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, in which I served as a Pledge Instructor and a Personnel Chair, I worked as a Resident Advisor in Aron, I was a member of Green Wave Ambassadors, and I taught VXN, an empowering dance-fitness class, at Reily.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I love hanging out with friends, going on long walks, and attending different events and festivals happening in my community!
What is your past work or internship experience?
The summer after my freshman year, I worked at a local day camp and ran the Leaders in Training Program. The following summer, I worked as a Marketing Intern for the Freeman School Study Abroad Office, a Research Intern for LifeCity L3C, and a finance tutor for the Financial Management course. The summer before my senior year, I interned on the Corporate Security team at Bank of America through the Corporate Functions Development Program in Charlotte, North Carolina. Throughout my time at Tulane, I also worked various jobs such as a Desk Services Coordinator, a Zoom Producer, an Administrative Aide for the Goldring Institute, and an English tutor through the platform Ringle.
Where will you be working after graduation? Include company, location, title.
After graduation, I will be returning to Bank of America at their headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina as part of the Corporate Functions Development Program on the ESG Risk Advisory and Disclosure team.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
I hope to attend grad school and would love to one day start my own sustainable company or non-profit!
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of, and why?
I am most proud of the research I conducted while studying abroad in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. I had the opportunity to write a fifty page independent research paper in Spanish that examined how Antarctic cruise companies try to be sustainable and how they communicate these sustainable practices through their media platforms, specifically looking for instances of greenwashing. This unique experience allowed me to combine my interests in sustainability, business, and international studies while strengthening both my Spanish and analytical skills.
If you were talking to someone who was considering Freeman, what would you tell them?
I would tell them to take elective classes in the other schools at Tulane and to study abroad! The business school provides an excellent foundation, but it is so important to have a well-rounded education so you can learn to think critically and truly make the most of your business degree.
What are your favorite things to do in New Orleans? Do you have a favorite New Orleans memory?
I love going to festivals, trying new restaurants, and walking around Audubon and the Fly! While it’s so hard to name just one favorite memory, I would say some of my top contenders are the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, seeing Darren Criss in the Krewe of Orpheus, and catching a shoe during Muses (which fell on my birthday!).
Where do you hope to be in five years?
If there’s anything the past five years has taught me, it’s that life is unpredictable, so I am entering my career with a very open mind. That being said, in five years, I hope that I am passionate about whatever I am doing and I hope to have made a difference in my community!
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