2020 Best & Brightest: Ty-Lynn Johnson, Rutgers Business School-Newark

Ty-Lynn Johnson

Rutgers Business School, Newark

“A leader passionate about being a role model for the next generations of underprivileged youth.”

Fun fact about yourself: My first trip outside of the U.S. took place during my sophomore year when I traveled to Japan on a cultural immersion program sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since then, I have visited four other countries, Israel, Spain, Portugal, and Ecuador.

Hometown: Newark, New Jersey

High School: Paramus Catholic Regional High School

Major: Finance

Minor: Social Justice (Honors Living-Learning Community)

Favorite Business Course: Advanced Corporate Finance

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College: 

  • Basketball Player (Freshman Year Only)
  • Inaugural President, Honors Living-Learning Community Student Council
  • Chief of Corporate Events, Marketing & Management Society (MMS)
  • Teacher’s Assistant, Business Forum, Corporate Finance, Advanced Corporate Finance
  • Student Coordinator, Rutgers Business School Pre-College Enrichment Program (PREP)
  • Participant, KAKEHASHI Project (Japan)
  • Participant, Caravan for Democracy (Israel)
  • Participant, Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program
  • Participant, Goldman Sachs Undergraduate Camp
  • Participant, Morgan Stanley Early Insights Program
  • Participant, The Blackstone Group Diverse Leaders Program
  • Alumni/Lead Recruiter, Rutgers Road to Wall Street Program
  • Scholar, KPMG Future Diverse Leaders Program
  • Scholar, BlackRock Founders Scholarship
  • Scholar, Honors Living-Learning Community
  • Beverly P. Beill Scholar
  • Judith Fay Ross Memorial Endowed Scholar
  • International Council for Shopping Centers (ICSC) Glenn & Mary Rufrano Scholar

Where have you interned during your college career? 

  • BlackRock – Princeton, NJ, Summer Analyst
  • KPMG – New York, NY, Corporate Management Intern
  • City Hall of Newark – Newark, NJ, Student Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? BlackRock – New York, NY, Analyst

What company do you admire the most?  I admire BlackRock the most because of the commitment and transparency they have with their employees. During my summer internship, I could not pinpoint any particular unpleasant experience; I truly believe that the vision of Larry Fink and the four core principles that the firm emphasizes permeates throughout the entire firm.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor is Lisa Kaplowitz. I now have the pleasure of being her teacher’s assistant for a second year and have taken both of her courses (Corporate Finance and Advanced Corporate Finance). Professor Kaplowitz does an exceptional job of bringing both academic theory and practical experience from the industry to her classes. As a former investment banker and treasurer, you receive real-world examples of situations she encountered throughout her career. Outside of the classroom, the care she has for her students is reflected in the career advice, mentorship, and time she offers. She played a significant role in my college experience, and I know things would be much different if I had not met Professor Kaplowitz.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? I truly enjoyed the family feel of Rutgers Business School. From classmates and peers to the faculty and professors, everyone wants you to succeed. The spirit of RBS shines through organization leaders and alumni who I have come in contact with who dedicate hours to giving back to Rutgers students.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? The advice I can give someone looking to major in a business-related field would be to have an open mind. Each class you take will offer so much knowledge about different aspects of business that you need to have an open mind to learn and engage in business classes actively. Careers in business also are very dynamic, so if you have an open mind, you will be able to better adapt to various situations you face while interning or working full time.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? Understanding how business and the knowledge obtained through a major in business play a vital role in our society surprised me the most. I am fortunate to have friends and contacts across many different studies. When speaking with these colleagues, I can always relate one aspect of business to their fields. Business is a universal language that many people have a grasp on even if it does not relate to their field of study.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of not only obtaining an internship and full-time job at BlackRock, but also being selected as a BlackRock Founders Scholar, a title only 11 of the 450+ interns globally receive. I am proud of this because, given my underprivileged background as an African American trying to find a place in corporate America, I never thought I would have the opportunity to work for the number one global asset manager in the world. I believe landing this job allowed me to realize my full potential as a college student and will allow me to encourage others to accomplish their biggest dreams and goals.

Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most would be Emanuel Marques. I had the pleasure of taking a majority of the courses in my finance major with Emanuel and even worked on multiple group projects with him. Most recently, we completed an independent study looking at the lack of representation of women in asset management careers. We are expecting a feature in the book releasing in 2021. No matter what class we were in together, Emanuel’s level of dedication and knowledge of finance always impressed me. I knew taking courses with him would always challenge me to be a better student, and I learned a lot from hearing his perspectives as well. Starting as classmates, I can say we are terrific friends now, and I am excited to see his career develop at Goldman Sachs. Finally, Emanuel and I now spend a good deal of time helping underclassmen pursue careers in front-office finance jobs through our recruiting roles with the Road to Wall Street Program.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? (Choose one person and explain why. I thank my dad most for my success. Without him, I would not understand how to work hard. Growing up in Newark, things were not always great. There were no “gifts” in my household; anything that my brother, sister, and I got we earned, whether it was through good grades, chores, or playing well in basketball games. I used to spend time off from school at my dad’s job. Nearby stood the Funplex amusement center, before my brother and I could go, we had to ticket 100 boxes of shoes. This example is one of the many ways that my dad made us earn something we wanted. Without my work ethic and persistence, I would not have been able to enjoy much of the success that I do now as I approach graduation.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

  • Obtain a seat on the Board of a Fortune 500 company
  • Start a basketball program that is also a non-profit organization

What are your hobbies?

  • Traveling
  • Playing basketball
  • Watching NFL football
  • Exercising
  • Mentoring

What made Ty-Lynn such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?

“Ty-Lynn Johnson has emerged as an influential leader among his peers. With humble beginnings in impoverished and underserved sections of Newark, New Jersey, Ty-Lynn’s drive to make his parents proud helped him overcome both socio-economic and environmental obstacles. Since adolescence, he has lived a life committed to serving others. As a finance major with a minor in social justice, that commitment continues to manifest itself in his contribution to Rutgers Business School and Rutgers University. Ty-Lynn matriculated to Rutgers Business School as a B-STAR student and continues in the program as a student ambassador, peer mentor, and as a student coordinator in the Pre-College Enrichment Program (RBS PREP).

In addition to strong scholarship, he has earned coveted internship opportunities and participated in more than 10 diversity leadership programs at top financial services firms. Rutgers Business School’s reputation for diversity excellence is strengthened by Ty-Lynn’s leadership locally and globally. He spent the summer of his freshman year employed at Newark City Hall assisting with special projects led by the mayor. He was also selected as one of 25 student leaders to represent Rutgers Business School and Rutgers University on a cultural immersion program in Japan.

Ty-Lynn works hard to take full advantage of every opportunity made available to him. He has served as a teacher’s assistant for courses like; Business Forum, Corporate Finance, and Advanced Corporate Finance. Even with all that he’s involved in, Ty-Lynn finds the most satisfaction in giving back to the city and the schools that have shaped him into an extraordinary leader. Ty-Lynn lead the recruitment for the Road to Wall Street program to ensure the Newark students took full advantage of the program.  He often remarks about how he plans to contribute and support Rutgers Business School and the youth of Newark post-graduation.”

Charles A. Brown
Assistant Dean For Diversity Programs
Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick

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