2020 Best & Brightest: Neidelyn Pina, Rutgers Business School-Newark

Neidelyn Pina

Rutgers Business School, Newark

“Dominican-American, travel- obsessed, raised by Mami & Mama, ambitious to break the glass ceiling.”

Fun fact about yourself: My sophomore year of college, I was selected for a business immersion program in Japan. The program consisted of staying with a Japanese family on their farm and engaging in daily activities with them. They didn’t know any English nor I any Japanese, but we spent the entire time communicating through Google Translate and body language.

Hometown: Weehawken, New Jersey

High School: Weehawken High School

Major: Accounting

Minor: Real Estate

Favorite Business Course: Advanced Accounting and Women Leading in Business

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • Rutgers Undergraduate Women in Business, President
  • Dean’s List, Every Semester
  • Management Leadership for Tomorrow, Fellow
  • America Needs You, Fellow
  • Summer Venture in Management, Harvard Business School
  • Chicago Booth’s Women Connect Conference
  • Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Scholar
  • Business Student Transition at Rutgers (B-STAR)
  • Kakehashi Program, Cultural Immersion Program in Japan
  • Caravan for Democracy, Student Leadership Trip to Israel
  • Accounting Honors Program
  • Business Forum, Teaching Assistant
  • Women Build, Member & 2019 Panel Moderator
  • TeamUp, Participant
  • Forte Foundation, Rutgers University Student Ambassador
  • LUPE Fund, Scholarship Recipient
  • Nordstrom Scholarship Recipient
  • Judith Fay Ross Scholarship Recipient
  • Beverly P. Biel Scholarship Recipient
  • ICSC Real Estate Foundation Scholarship Recipient
  • Robert Half, ALPFA Scholarship Recipient
  • Google BOLD Immersion Program
  • Goldman Sachs Women’s Leadership Camp
  • Citi Early ID Hispanic Mentorship Program
  • Morgan Stanley Early Insights Program

Where have you interned during your college career?

Freshman Year: KPMG, Audit-Financial Services (Alternative Investments), NYC

Sophomore Year: Deloitte & Touche, Discovery Intern, NYC

Junior Year: Deloitte & Touche, Risk & Financial Advisory Intern, NYC

Where will you be working after graduation?

Post-graduation, I will be starting my career at Deloitte in the New York City office as a Risk and Financial Advisory Consultant. Specifically, in the Transformations and Restructuring group.

What company do you admire the most? Ellevest. I came across this company when doing research on personal finance and was shocked to find a company dedicated to closing the gender investing gap. I really admire the mission of this company and their goal of wanting to impact everyday women’s lives in a realistic way.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor is Professor Lisa Kaplowitz. As an accounting major, I wanted to take her Corporate Finance class to dive deeper into finance after my introductory course. She made the material applicable to everyone by applying her real-world experience as an investment banker and CFO to the curriculum. She also shared career advice with us that really impacted me, and she hosted panel discussions with finance professionals during class.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? My classmates. Nearly every student at RBS-Newark has an indescribable level of ambition, hustle, and scrappiness that has inspired me endlessly. In addition, everyone is extremely willing to help the next person succeed. I attribute a lot of my first- and second-year success to juniors and seniors who took me under their wing and mentored me when I asked for it. The majority of students at Rutgers Business School are first-generation college students or come from underserved communities. The fact that a lot of us have had no guidance or example from our families yet accomplish amazing feats in college is a true testament to how resourceful and hard-working students at Rutgers Business School-Newark are.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I learned from studying business is that every function is essential for a business to succeed. I’ve taken introductory classes in all business functions and know the importance they all have.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Relationships in business are everything! Learning how to work and connect well with others is a vital skill and should be developed as early as possible. This can be learned through getting involved in clubs and working on a team to put an event together. Getting involved in different organizations that will require you to network a lot, and actually paying attention to different people’s working styles during team projects.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I’ve found it surprising how encompassing business is. You need to know a little Economics, Calculus, English, and Statistics. Business is really based on the foundation of all these and applies them in practical ways. I was surprised to actually use a lot of the knowledge I learned in these basic classes in my advanced business courses.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I’m really proud of being the previous president of Rutgers Undergraduate Women in Business. I’m a commuter, so being the president of such a large club made me feel like I accomplished my goal of commuting and also being extremely involved. I learned a lot about my leadership style, how I work well with others, how to resolve conflict and plan events with major companies. I think it was one of my biggest learning opportunities in college.

Which classmate do you most admire? One of my closest friends and classmates, Ivona Timothe. She came to the U.S. from Croatia on her own as an au pair and financed her way through community college and then transferred to Rutgers Business School. In our accounting classes, she was by far one of the smartest students in the class. I admire her ambition, her resilience, and her work ethic. She’s going to start her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and I know she will be taking the accounting world by storm!

Who would you most want to thank for your success? Mi Mami y mi Mama! They’re basically one person! They both raised me and were the first examples of strong women in my life. They instilled in me the belief that I can accomplish all my goals through hard work and dedication. Throughout my college years, they made sure I never had to worry about ANYTHING else other than studying and supported me emotionally as well. I would not be able to accomplish anything without them. I owe them the world.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first is to obtain both my CPA and eventually my CFA. They are both extremely hard exams, so I believe the discipline that it will take to obtain these certifications will allow me to grow personally and professionally. Another item on my professional bucket list is to obtain a C-Level position at a top company, preferably in Finance or Strategy and focusing on Latin America.

What are your hobbies? I’m obsessed with learning more about different cultures. I do this through traveling which is my favorite hobby. During college, I’ve visited 13 new countries and I love exploring different local cuisines and customs of each country. I also love learning about personal finance and real estate. I watch Dave Ramsey videos on repeat when I’m home. Since my family is Dominican, I love dancing and listening to Dominican music. I also love watching YouTube videos on fashion, nutrition, and fitness.

What made Neidelynsuch an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?  

“Neidelyn Pena was raised by strong women as her role models. Her “abuela” (grandmother) and her mom. She is the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. Neidelyn came to Rutgers Business School through the B-STAR (Business Student Transition at Rutgers Program). She has contributed to Rutgers Business School through her participation and leadership in the Women BUILD program, and by serving as president of Rutgers Undergraduate Women in Business (RUWIB), where she was recognized both by the Office of Career Management (OCM) and the Office of Student Life (OSL) for outstanding leadership. Neidelyn exudes a quiet confidence and has excelled in programs like America Needs You, Managing Leaders for Tomorrow (MLT) program, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) and the Forte Foundation. In everything, Neidelyn leaves an impact. She is not afraid of hard work and has demonstrated strong leadership traits not only to benefit herself but for the benefit of others. I am proud of Neidelyn and believe that she will always remember to give back to RBS – Newark because she is grateful for all the opportunities she received. Neidelyn has accepted a full-time opportunity with Deloitte for Fall 2021. She is currently in the running for a Fulbright Scholarship.”

Wanda Mendez
Assistant Dean and Director of the Office of Career Management
Rutgers Business School-Newark

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE TOP 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2020

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.