Alonso Alfredo Arbulu Arenas

Seton Hall University, Stillman School of Business

“I am an ambitious and driven adventurer seeking my wildest dreams.”

Fun fact about yourself: I had the opportunity to play semiprofessional soccer in Peru

Hometown: Lima, Peru

High School: La Inmaculada Concepción (LIC)

Major(s): Double majoring in Economics and Finance

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Business Clubs:

• Seton Hall Consulting Club: Co-Founder
• Consult Your Community: Co-Founder & Engagement Director
• Association of Latino Professionals For America: former President (1 year) and Current Senior Advisor (Present)
• Hall Street Fund: former Senior Equity Research Analyst (1 year)
• Beta Alpha Psi: former member (2 years)
• Personal Investment Club: former member (2 years)

Other Extracurricular Activities:

• Soccer Club member
• Intramural Soccer Team Captain
• International Student Club member
• Former Student-Athlete Tutor (1 year)
• Resident Assistant

Community Work:

• Housing and Residence Life: Toy drive organizer
• Division of Volunteer Efforts: Halloween Carnival for adults with disabilities
• Division of Volunteer Efforts: Building care packages for the homeless
• Division of Volunteer Efforts: Packing sandwiches for the homeless
• Beta Alpha Psi tutoring: Provided students with assistance in finance and accounting assignments and projects.

External Awards:

• Future Leaders of S&P Global Case Study Competition invitation and scholarship
• National War College Alumni Association
• ALPFA Seattle – 2018 ALPFA Convention Scholarship
• MACUHO Academic Excellence Award

University Awards:

• Economics Fund Scholarship
• CIT Group Scholarship
• Market Research Case competition – 2nd Place Team 2017
• John P. Deehan Scholarship 2018
• John P. Deehan Scholarship 2017
• Stillman 4.0 Prize for Academic Excellence 2019, 2018, 2017, & 2016
• Xinxiao Zhang Memorial Scholarship
• Lawrence J. Truncale Scholarship

Other Awards

• Economic Honor Society – Inductee
• Beta Gamma Sigma – Inductee
• Dean’s List (all semesters)
• National Society of Collegiate Scholars – Inductee

Where have you interned during your college career? (List Companies, Locations and Roles)

• National Defense University – Washington D.C – International Student Office Intern
• Central Reserve Bank of Peru – Lima, Peru – Monetary Policy Design Intern
• Napier Park Global Capital – New York City – Credit Research Apprentice
• Ernst & Young – New York City – Transfer Pricing Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? Strategy & Operations Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting.

What company do you admire most? I admire various institutions for their innovative initiatives. Nonetheless, I feel a deep connection with the Dreamscape Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides accommodations for individuals impacted by rare disabilities.

I have a long-term friendship with the founder of this institution, Joseph Sehwani. Over the years, I have seen the exponential growth of the impact the firm has on providing scholarships, jobs, health aids, and educational accommodations to those in need, helping them succeed in life. I honestly have not met a more benevolent person as Joseph, and his company is nothing but the legacy of the core values that have brought him success.

What did you enjoy most about your business school?  The constant learning opportunities. The Stillman School of Business schools offers many events that allow you to put concepts into practice. I have probably attended at least two networking/information sessions every week for the last three years. I genuinely enjoy the adrenaline that comes with stepping out of my comfort zone, and the best way for me to do so is to get exposure to as many unfamiliar topics as possible.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Take advantage of every interview opportunity and get practical experience in the top five fields that interest you the most. If you are like me, you are going to want to try different careers. When I first joined Seton Hall University, I wanted to try out banking, corporate finance, monetary policy design, consulting, wealth management, and many others. My interviews, internships, and networking experience led me to believe that I was best suited for consulting, but it took me four internships to find out. It is hard to get a feel for a specific industry without having practical experience in it. My advice to you would be to interview as many times as you can with as many firms. Once you narrow it down to two or three careers, get some internship experience in those. Having more experience never hurts.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? What has surprised me most about majoring in business is the importance of networking. Everyone says that having connections is everything. However, it is only when you experience it first-hand that you understand the real value of knowing people in the industry. I am a firm believer that you learn a lot more from a 10-minute conversation than a 1-hour reading. I now know that the best way to have an idea of what a career is actually like is through networking.

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…International Relations. I am fascinated by the idea of being a global citizen, and I firmly believe the best way to learn about human nature, including our history, is through international dialogue. I would not mind working for the United Nations, advocating and representing my home country Peru.”

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? From a very young age, my grandfather has been a role model to me, unconsciously contributing to my decision of going to business school. As a ten-year-old, I would have long philosophical discussions with him, touching on subjects such as the meaning of life, life after death, and having an impact in society. I always struggled to define what my life purpose would be, being memorable (aiming at being remembered throughout history) or being happy (mainly focusing on my utility).

After years of hearing my grandfather’s stories in various firms, I came to realize that I wanted to emulate his essence by aiming to bring joy to other peoples’ lives.  One action can mean the world to someone, and my grandfather had the opportunity to do precisely that in his various roles in the corporate world. Moreover, by mainly focusing on the private sector, he was able to donate to the nonprofit space actively. Because I dreamed of elevating those around me, getting the largest impact possible, I followed my grandfather’s steps in pursuing a business degree.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Becoming the youngest elected President of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) at Seton Hall University. As a sophomore, I was nominated by the board and elected by my peers as the incoming President, starting my junior year.

This leadership role deeply resonated with me because, through that nomination, my role models were entrusting me with the future of the Stillman School of Business Club. Furthermore, during my term as President, I was able to support the development of my younger classmates who I am proud to say, are already greatly succeeding in their careers.

Which classmate do you most admire? I look up to and am continually impressed by the achievements and overall work ethic of my close friend Michael Riley. I met Michael during his first year in college as a D1 student-athlete for the baseball team.

Although back then he was uncertain about his career path, he has grown into one of the most successful student leaders at the Stillman community, founding the first-ever Consulting Club, and taking on leadership roles in other organizations such as ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America). Although Michael had to leave the Baseball team due to an injury, he is more actively involved in campus than ever, continually uploading content to YouTube to help high school students, and  LinkedIn (as a Campus Editor) to increase the footprint of our university.

It is impressive for me to see someone in just his second year of studies who has already determined his life passion. Michael’s determination and resilience have certainly set him apart from the crowd, which is demonstrated in his various achievements. As a sophomore, Michael has already secured an internship with PWC’s consulting practice (first Seton Hall student to accomplish this out of undergrad), and I am sure this is just the beginning of a successful career.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I want to thank my mother. I honestly think I would not be who I am today without the love, care, and values that my mom has provided me with. When I was a child, I honestly did not fully comprehend the importance of her devotion. However, looking back at the sacrifices she made to provide me with the best means possible, I can confidently say I owe my mother more than just my success. It is through her upbringing that I was able to materialize years of knowledge and experience from the best of the best in my family, my grandparents.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

• Start a nonprofit
• Getting a Pilot’s license

What are your hobbies?

• Playing Soccer
• Playing the guitar
• Longboarding
• Surfing
• Traveling
• Playing tennis
• Spending time with friends

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

“Alonso Arbulu Arenas has had a tremendous impact on the Stillman School.  His excellence in the classroom (he currently has a perfect 4.0 GPA) provides a great example for his peers, but his academic achievement is just a small part of the difference that he has made. Alonso is an enthusiastic participant in a variety of extracurricular initiatives at the School and University, and he encourages his peers to join him in these activities. He was instrumental in reinvigorating the School’s ALPFA chapter, which is now one of our largest and most successful organizations.

Alonso has informally served as a mentor to a number of students, helping them develop professional networks and competencies. Despite a busy schedule, he gives generously of his time in service to the University and our local community. He is exactly the type of servant leader that we strive to develop at Stillman.”

Joyce Strawser
Dean, Stillman School of Business