A 2014 Cal State Fullerton alumna knows the value of hands-on, practical experience.
“Saying that my ASAP (Applied Securities Analysis Program) experience assisted me in the real world would be an understatement,” says Irina Arora, who earned business administration degrees with concentrations in accounting and finance. “The program carred me on its shoulders — from helping me secure a job at Goldman Sachs to launching me in underwriting.”
The two-semester ASAP program is a student investment management program that was underwritten initially with a $100,000 gift from alumnus Jeffrey S. Van Harte ’80 (B.A. business administration-finance), chairman and chief investment officer of Jackson Square Partners.
Van Harte made an additional gift in 2015 that resulted in expansion of the program and the establishment of the Titan Capital Management Center, which opened last December. Proceeds from the students’ efforts have been used to support other areas of the campus that help students succeed.
Arora worked as an equity derivatives analyst and controller at Goldman Sachs then moved to a position as a risk underwriting analyst and portfolio manager at Capital One Healthcare Finance.
“My ASAP background gave me an edge during job interviews that separated me from the rest of the candidates,” she stressed. “The real-world situations in the program prepared me for the job I am in today.”