2017 Best & Brightest: Raffy Maristela, University of Minnesota (Carlson)

Raffy Maristela

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

“I’m empathetic yet sarcastic, driven but will also spend three hours watching viral internet videos.”

Fun fact about yourself: I once ran straight through a glass door and shattered it completely when I was five years old.

Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minnesota

High School: Eden Prairie Senior High School

Major: Finance

Minor: Management Information Systems

Favorite Business Courses: Financial Modeling, Managerial Accounting

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • Business Board – Carlson Student Government
    • Freshman Representative
    • Sophomore Representative
    • Vice President
    • Mental Health Committee – Head
  • Delta Sigma Pi – Business Fraternity
    • Vice President of Alumni Relations
    • Pledge Education Assistant
    • Senior Vice President – Recruitment Head
  • Carlson Consulting Enterprise
    • Consulting Associate (Spring 2016) – worked in a semester-long consulting engagement with a Minnesota hospital on a team of four MBA students.
    • Consulting Associate (Fall 2016) – worked in a semester-long consulting engagement with a large medical device company on a team of four MBA students.
  • Peer Career Coach – Undergraduate Business Career Center
  • Carlson Undergraduate Research Assistant
    • Fall 2013
    • Spring 2015 – Fall 2015
  • University Honors Program
  • Dean’s List (All Academic Semesters)
  • LeaderShape Graduate (Six-day Leadership Development summit, one of 80 University of Minnesota students selected)
  • Wells Fargo Sophomore Leadership Conference Attendee (One of 40 students selected from around the nation)
  • Global Engagement Summit Attendee (Summit focused on social entrepreneurship, one of 50 international and national delegates)
  • Recipient of the Gold Scholarship, Bentson Scholarship, and the National Merit Scholarship

Where have you interned during your college career?

  • Summer 2016: Salesforce (San Francisco, CA) – Finance & Strategy Intern
  • Summer 2015: Accenture Strategy (Minneapolis, MN) – Strategy Analyst Intern
  • Fall 2014: Aratus Capital (London, United Kingdom) – Project Assistant
  • Summer 2014: Morning Consult (Washington D.C.) – Summer Intern/Poll Article Writer

Describe your dream Job: I would love to work on a late night talk show like Jimmy Fallon or Saturday Night Live. I would be happy working on anything related to the show (like production, marketing, or finance). If I was funnier, my ultimate dream would be to host like Jimmy Fallon himself.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite instructor is Senior Lecturer Corrie Fiedler, who taught Systems Analysis and Design. Her passion for teaching and her students is contagious. She tirelessly pushed us to work collaboratively and be genuinely curious about the content we were learning about. It was refreshing to have a class where the learning, and not the final grade, was truly the main focus.

Where would you like to work after graduation? I will be working as a Business Analyst for McKinsey & Company in Minneapolis after graduation.

What are your long-term professional goals? Down the line, I want to move into the social entrepreneurship space and work with start-ups that are focused on improving the world. Specifically, I would love to get involved with organizations that focus on improving education quality and access to those that don’t normally have that opportunity. Another long term goal of mine is to become a professor at a business school in a Strategic Management or Organizational Change department.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Business is one the most versatile and widely applicable undergrad degrees and gives a unique and accessible opportunity to combine your interests with a future job. While business school and business student organizations are great, don’t ever forget about your interests and how that can fit into your long-term career! Whether it’s music, the outdoors, or television/films, staying true to your passions will help keep you sane in your undergrad and maybe even help you find a practical job in an industry of your dreams.

“I knew I wanted to major in business when…I thought about what I wanted most out of a career and realized I wanted my passion for people to be integral in my college and professional life.”

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be… an elementary school teacher.”

“Before I entered business school, I wish I had known… how willing people in the business community are to help you out, if you just ask!”

What was the happiest moment of your life? When I picnicked under the Eiffel Tower at night and watched it light up with some of my best friends when I studied abroad.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I’m proudest of myself for working at the start-up in Washington D.C. the summer after my freshman year – not knowing a single close friend or family member in a completely new city. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone and truly taught me about independence.

What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? An otter. I think otters are one of the friendliest and most playful animals. Regardless of how tough a work environment or situation gets, I want people to know that I’ll always be a playful and friendly goof.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my family for my success in life. First, my parents have given me the opportunity to study at an incredible university, work in some of the coolest cities in the nation, and have unforgettable experiences around the world. I cannot thank them enough for the things and lessons they’ve given me thus far. Second, I’d like to thank my older sister, Alyssa. Being the oldest child and having to go through all of life’s experiences first cannot be easy – I know because she never let me forget it. All jokes aside, she has always set an amazing example of what it means to work hard, be creative, and be passionate. It has set the bar and pushed me to do the same in everything I pursue.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I want my peers to remember me as someone who, above all else, was willing to help them with whatever issue there may be, whether it was personal or professional. Business school really pushes you to pursue your professional goals ardently, but I hope my peers always knew I would do everything I could to help them reach and exceed their own goals as well.

Favorite book: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Favorite movie: Dead Poet’s Society

Favorite musical performer: Bon Iver

Favorite vacation spot: Boracay, Philippines

What are your hobbies? Reading, hiking and being outside, rewatching episodes of The Office and How I Met Your Mother, and finding new places to eat around the city

What made Raffy such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2017?

“I have had the pleasure of knowing Raffy Maristela from his first year at Carlson, when he was a student in my Corporate Responsibility and Ethics course. Over the past four years, I have been amazed to see him grow and develop into both an exceptional student and a caring, inclusive leader among his peers at the Carlson School. Raffy has embraced the Carlson ethos of global learning, but he is also demonstrated the power of paying attention to his local community, engaging with his peers in both service and leadership roles. I have every confidence that Raffy will take full advantage of his next adventure when he joins McKinsey as a consultant upon graduation.”

Rand Park
Senior Lecturer, Department of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship
Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

DON’T MISS: THE FULL HONOR ROLL: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2017

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