Isabella Martinez

Binghamton University School of Management

“Will talk to you about astrology in one breath and about stocks in the next.”

Fun fact about yourself: I self-taught myself palmistry because I was interested in the subject/practice.

Hometown: Marlboro, New York

High School: Marlboro Central High School

Major: Finance and Management Information Systems

Minor: Spanish

Favorite Business Course: FIN480J (Fintech), This course was a great blend of both of my concentrations, Finance and MIS!

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Management Consulting Group (MCG)

• Consulting Development Program Mentee, Capstone Competition 1st place (Spring 2019)
  • Mentored by senior members of the MCG E-Board and professional network in a series of topics relating to the consulting industry, internship recruitment process, and professional development; my case team advanced through all three rounds of Capstone and was voted first place by a round of industry professionals.
• Competitions Associate (Fall 2019-Spring 2020)
  • Collaborated with the competitions committee to plan MCG’s main case competitions, Dean’s Case and TechX, through creating marketing materials, judging competitions rounds, mentoring teams, and designing case
• President (Fall 2020-Spring 2021)
• Set and oversaw the goals of MCG’s three branches: education, competitions, and 180 Degrees Consulting through leading weekly E-Board meetings, establishing committees, and communicating closely with each branch
• Directed the MCG E-Board through yearly events including three major case competitions, Winter Consulting Night, Interview Academy, local Binghamton consulting engagements and the Consulting Development Program to generate interest in the consulting industry and help students through their recruitment process..
• Consulting Development Program Lead (Spring 2021)
  • Planned a selective semester long program centered on student’s professional development and preparedness for pursuing a career in the consulting industry; Planning included week by week discussion topics, alumni speakers, individual mentoring, and a final Capstone Case.

• Senior Advisor (Fall 2021- Spring 2022)
  • Provide guidance to the E-Board on implementing MCG’s yearly events and programs while assisting with any issues or question that arise to the E-Board.

Phi Mu Fraternity

• Service Committee Chair (Fall 2019)
  • Organized a series of community service events for the chapter to participate in while benefitting organizations including Girls Love Mail, the Binghamton YWCA, and campus club She’s the
• Secretary, Executive Board (Spring 2020-Fall 2021)
  • Managed the communication system and attendance tracking for 150+ members to raise awareness about chapter events and member’s current standing within the chapter.
• Honor Committee Chair, Executive Board (Spring 2021-Fall 2021)
  • Ensured all members are abiding by national Phi Mu bylaws and chapter rules through speaking with chapter members and reviewing any potential infractions with the Honor Committee and national chapter

Binghamton University School of Management

• Undergraduate Academic Advising Peer Advisor (Summer 2020-Present)
  • Advise students on questions regarding graduation requirements, class scheduling, campus resources, or other coursework
• MGMT111 Mentor (Fall 2020-Present)
  • Mentored multiple groups of students on professional development topics and reviewed their competition of class deliverables (including mock interviews, a resume, a LinkedIn page).
• Dean’s Student Advisory Board (Fall 2020-Spring 2021)
  • Provided a student perspective in monthly meetings regarding the school and any topics relating to student involvement, curriculum, campus projects,

University of Minnesota

• CoMIS Case Competition Finalist (Spring 2021)
  • Represented Binghamton University in a national case competition as part of a team with the Management Consulting Group E-Board
  • Advanced through multiple rounds and ended as finalists in the competition. Consortium Undergraduate Program
• Competitive Advantage Scholar (Fall 2020)
  • Professional and leadership development program that prepares students for success in the professional world through a series of workshops and events that cultivate business skills and expand the student’s
  • Culminates with a leadership conference where students can meet with various companies across different fields and top tier graduate school

Where have you interned during your college career?

• PwC, Summer 2021, New York City, Technology Consulting Intern (Data and Analytics Technology in the Financial Crimes Unit)
• Tenshey, Summer 2020–Winter 2020, New York City, Finance and Project Management Intern
• Binghamton Center for Leadership Studies, Summer 2019, Binghamton, NY, Leadership Research Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? PwC, Data and Analytics Technology Consultant

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor would be Associate Dean George Bobinski. During my first semester of college, I was enrolled in his MGMT111 class. Through his course, I built a solid foundation of professional development skills necessary to be successful in future years. I am thankful for the introduction to the School of Management and its potential career paths and campus opportunities.

Beyond this course, I have been able to work with Dean Bobinski personally through planning the MGMT111 Dean’s Case for the students. I appreciated working with him and his ability to allow students to take the lead in planning these cases for the class. Throughout my experience in MGMT111 and planning the case with him, it is clear how much he values student input and encourages their involvement in both the class and the school. I find this to be a very valuable trait in a professor as it helps a student feel more confident in the classroom and grow as a professional. In addition to these experiences, he also agreed to be my team’s coach for the University of Minnesota’s CoMIS Case, which was vital to our participation in the case. All of these experiences were very important to my time at Binghamton, and I am grateful to Dean Bobinski for his mentorship throughout each.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My biggest piece of advice to a student looking to major in a business-related field would be to find a mentor who suits his or her career interests and will work with the student to build professional development skills and a solid network. A student’s mentor may change throughout their college career, but it is incredibly valuable to have a go-to and trustworthy person to source career questions, college advice, and any other related worries to. Throughout my time at Binghamton, I have had multiple upperclassmen and professional mentors who helped me tremendously throughout my time at Binghamton. They were instrumental in assisting me to land various leadership roles and internships.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? My biggest surprise about majoring in business was the amount of diverse opportunity it would bring for career options. When I first came to the School of Management, I had very limited knowledge of what I could pursue after majoring in business. As I started attending different networking events and visiting a range of companies, I began to tap into the vast career options available to me. From there, I had to start the process of narrowing down which opportunities best suited my interests!

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? The extracurricular achievement that I am most proud of is leading the Consulting Development Program during my Presidency with Management Consulting Group (MCG). Becoming the lead for the program felt like a “full circle” moment to me since I participated in the program as a freshman in college. I owed a lot of gratitude to this program as it kickstarted my journey into pursuing consulting. The Consulting Development Program is a selective professional and leadership development program with a goal to prepare students for success in the consulting industry through workshops, networking, and deliverables to cultivate business skills. I was so excited to lesson plan for the students and connect them to MCG’s alumni. It was very rewarding to watch their progress week-by-week throughout the program. At the end of the program, the mentees were able to apply skills learned in a multi-round Capstone Case Competition. At Capstone, I could see each student’s growth during their final presentations. I also conducted exit interviews to understand the impact of the program on the students and was happy to discover a sizable amount of generated interest in consulting. Many of the mentees even moved on to join the MCG Executive Board.

Which classmate do you most admire? A classmate I most admire would be Marissa Kufeld. I was first introduced to Marissa during our freshman year in our CQS111 class. As we sat together each Friday during class, she became my first friend at Binghamton. The reason I admire Marissa so much is her willingness to help others. Ever since my freshman year, she has always been there to help study for a test, give advice when I needed it, and introduce me to other potential friends. She would offer to be a buddy during networking events and save me a spot on a team for a case competition when I did not know anyone. I believe Marissa truly embodies the community culture in the School of Management through these acts and her kindness.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? Without a doubt, I would thank my mom first for my success. My mom has worked multiple jobs and spent countless hours supporting me to send me through college and provide any resources I may need. She was always there to offer a ride to an event, talk through a decision, or listen to my interview response practice. Since I was young, she helped me develop important traits that would be vital to my success in college. Her drive to go back to school to pursue necessary career certifications on top of work inspired my work ethic in college. She taught me about the importance of empathy through bringing me along to volunteer with local homeless shelters, food pantries, and rehabilitation clinics. She built my confidence through encouraging me on each of my endeavors and sitting front row whenever she could. Drive, empathy, kindness, and confidence are traits that make a strong leader, and I owe a lot to my mom for helping me build these traits.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first item on my professional bucket list would be to find an organization that focuses on mentoring/providing educational resources to underprivileged youth. Something very important to me is giving back to the community. Many students are not taught important concepts including financial literacy or college readiness because they do not have access to many resources. This program would help bridge that gap for underprivileged students.

A second item on my bucket list is to pursue a master’s degree at a top university after working for some time. My education is something very important to me as a first-generation college student. I would hope to use this degree to pursue an executive role in the future.
What are your hobbies? I would consider myself a film buff. I have a long list of movie recommendations for every streaming platform. I also have an interest in astrology and palmistry. Ever since I was a little girl, my mom and I would visit psychic shops for fun and to learn more about these two topics. Lastly, now that I live in my own apartment, I sparked an interest in cooking. This past year, I have taken two courses regarding food – Hispanic Food and Culture, and Italian Food. I have a lot of fun testing out recipes from these courses and online.

What made Isabella such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?

“Bella’s (Isabella) leadership qualities are reflected in everything she does. She is decisive, loyal, an effective communicator who empowers others, and a terrific listener. Bella has a humbleness and humanity about her that infects everyone around her.  She is genuinely enthusiastic about her role as a mentor, and she can often be overheard delighting in the successes of the students she mentors as if they were her own. As the Undergraduate Advising Director in the School of Management, I have had the pleasure of working with Bella for the past two years.  I have come to rely on her as one of my most stalwart employees. More times than I can count, Bella has enthusiastically agreed to assist me in admissions or advising events even when given little notice and despite her hectic schedule. She is a dedicated peer advisor and is passionate about helping the students that she serves in her advising role.   I have no doubt that every person who knows Bella would tell you that she is an asset to anyone who has the pleasure of knowing her.”

Katie Collette
Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising
School of Management 
Binghamton University

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