Julianna Marandola

Boston College, Carroll School of Management

“If I’m not stressed, I’m not happy.”

Fun fact about yourself: I used to be in a garage band called Blueprint. We played exactly one gig and were paid less than the cost of the gas it took to get there.

Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island

High School: La Salle Academy

Major: Finance, Entrepreneurship, and History

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: I have a few: Fixed Income Analysis, Predictive Analytics, Product Planning and Strategy, and Portico (Philosophy and Ethics of Business)

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Member of the Carroll School of Management Honors Program
• Carroll School of Management Teaching Assistant for Entrepreneurial Management, Managerial Accounting, and Portico (Philosophy and Ethics of Business)
• Undergraduate Research Fellow, Department of Management and Organization
• Selected as one of 12 start-up founders for the 2019 Start@Shea Accelerator Program at Boston College
• Third Place Winner, 2018 Boston College Elevator Pitch Competition
• Recipient of an Advanced Study Grant for independent research from the Boston College University Fellowships Committee: “Closed Shop, Open Door: Evaluating the Impact of Right-to-Work Union Regulations on Construction Industry Metrics” (Summer 2017)
• Appointed a two-time Junior Fellow by the Clough Center for Constitutional Democracy (2016 and 2017)
• Selected to represent Boston College at the 2017 National Women’s Case Competition at the University of Texas at Austin
• Published in the Boston College Bellarmine Pre-Law Review: “Hiding in Plain Sight: Does Section 230 Immunity Shield Backpage.com from Civil Liability?” (December 2016)
• Member of the Alpha Sigma Nu, Beta Gamma Sigma, & Phi Alpha Theta academic honor societies
• Dean’s List: First Honors (All Semesters)
• Resident Assistant, Freshman and Sophomore Honors Houses
• Co-President, Smart Woman Securities
• Special Projects Committee Chair, Carroll School of Management Honors Program Executive Board
• Volunteer with the Prison Arts Outreach Program in Framingham, MA and Boston College Splash

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Bain Capital (Boston, MA) – Summer Credit Analyst
• Boston College Center for Work and Family (Chestnut Hill, MA) – Research Intern
• Office of U.S. Congressman James R. Langevin (RI-02; Warwick, RI) – Congressional Intern
• Office of Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Daniel J. McKee (Providence, RI) – Policy and Communications Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be working at Bain Capital as a Credit Analyst.

What company do you admire most? Ellevest – Founder Sallie Krawcheck exemplifies the best of honest leadership, strategic investing, and entrepreneurship. In addition to being imbued with its founder’s qualities, Ellevest is disrupting the investment industry with transformative technology and mission-forward portfolio management for its female clients.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? I most enjoyed the autonomy built into my classes. Virtually every business class I have taken has emphasized independent projects, case analyses, and self-directed research, all of which helped me come to the realization that there will never be a single “right” answer.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Your word is your bond, and your reputation is your currency.

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…Psychology. I find the nuances of human behavior, particularly decision-making and judgment, endlessly interesting. In my free time, I really enjoy reading about personality theories and trying to learn handwriting analysis.”

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My dad – when I was in elementary school, I would tag along with him as he visited different supermarkets to look at the price points of the food brands for which he managed accounts. The number of people and systems it took to get something as simple as a bottle of syrup or a box of taco shells into a customer’s hands always fascinated me. When I was choosing a program of study, I knew I wanted to pursue something that would enable me to have the same kind of hands-on experience that my dad had and that would put my curiosities and meticulousness to full use.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of being inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the honor society of Jesuit universities, and Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society, last year. These two long-standing institutions are part of the fabric of Boston College and have at their core the values of integrity, scholarship, and service toward which the Ignatian character of the university strives. I am honored to be a part of them and the traditions of excellence that they represent.

Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire the incredible women that I work with on the board of Boston College’s Smart Woman Securities chapter, many of whom I have known since my freshman year of college. By their example, they continuously push me to be a better leader and mentor, to be more ambitious, and to truly be a woman for others. Collaborating with them in our on-campus financial literacy efforts has been one of the greatest joys of my college experience. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a more accomplished and dedicated group of peers.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My parents, absolutely – I firmly believe that there can be no success without a support system, and no two people have sacrificed more to support me than my mom and dad. From when I was very young, my parents instilled in me the importance of education, a strong moral compass, and unrelenting hard work. Every opportunity I have had ultimately stems from their example, their encouragement, and their emphasis on correctly prioritizing your values.

What are the top two items on your bucket list? Go to a taping of Saturday Night Live and finally learn how to correctly pronounce words with “r” or “w” in them (it’s a Rhode Island thing)

What are your hobbies? Playing the piano and trombone, gardening, collecting vinyl records, and following professional U.S. women’s soccer

What made Julianna such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2019?

“Julianna has done exceptionally well in her academics at Boston College. She’s an even better person. If there is something that needs to be done in a club that she has joined, she does it. The same is true for her volunteer work. While some people want to shout their good deeds from the rooftops, Julianna simply does good deeds. I’ve finally found something at which she doesn’t excel – self promotion. She is incapable of saying “no” to anyone who can use her help. She is among the most special people I have taught in 20+ years at Boston College.”

Michael Barry
Associate Professor of the Practice
Boston College Finance Department

“Julianna exemplifies not only academic excellence but above all commitment to fostering a learning community beyond the bounds of the classroom.  Having had the pleasure of working with Julianna first as a teaching assistant and currently as an upper-level student, I can speak to these impressive capacities along two distinct lines.  Last semester, Julianna was a TA in one of my sections of Portico (a class that introduces first-year, first semester students to business as an ethical practice).  As a senior with a wide variety of academic and extracurricular pursuits, Julianna could not have been a better role model for our students.  With concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship, a history major, a role in the Pep Band, being president of Smart Woman Securities, a job as a Resident Assistant, and a job at the Boston College Center for Work & Family, Julianna had something to offer almost all of our students.  Most impressive, however, was Julianna’s commitment to being there for our students outside of the classroom.  One of my favorite sights of the semester was regularly seeing Julianna meeting with one or two of our students in some corner of Fulton Hall, deeply engrossed in conversation.  Julianna’s section of Portico felt especially like a community and I think a large part of that had to do with the effort and friendliness she brought to the students both in and out of the classroom.”

Julianna is currently enrolled in a senior-level seminar that I am co-teaching called The Ethics and Politics of Capitalism.  Although this class has really just begun, Julianna has already emerged as one of the students we can rely on regularly to stimulate productive and thoughtful discussion.  This was no surprise to me, but my co-teacher (who did not realize that she had worked with me as a Portico TA) remarked after only our first week of class that Julianna clearly seemed like one of our exceptional students.  Recently, Julianna sent us some research articles she has been working with concerning the negative economic effects of employment practices and social policies that worsen inequality.  The articles that she sent us are so eye-opening that I plan on suggesting we use them in future versions of the course.  One of my favorite moments as a teacher is when students draw connections between our class discussion and their own intellectual pursuits.  As with her work as a TA, Julianna’s genuine excitement as a student and engagement beyond the bounds of the classroom has been one of the highlights of my semester.”

Michael Smith
Lecturer, Business Law and Society

“Julianna Marandola is an exceptional student. Interested in answering big questions, she is not at all afraid of the amount of work it takes to answer them well. As a double major in history and finance/entrepreneurship, she also has the rare ability to speak two different disciplinary languages and apply two different methodologies to incredibly complex problems simultaneously.”

Penelope Ismay
Cooney Family Assistant Professor of History