Matthew Shernicoff  

Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business

“While others debate if the cup’s half full, I drink the water because I’m thirsty.”

Fun fact about yourself: I was born with 5 wisdom teeth

Hometown: Freehold, New Jersey

High School: Freehold Township High School

Major: Finance, Management, and Economics

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: Financial Risk Management

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Resident Advisor for Tulane Housing and Residential Life
• Research Analyst within the department of Economics
• Queer Students Alliance (President 2018-2019)
• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Club (Vice President 2019-2021)
• Beta Gamma Simga International Honors Fraternity
• Dean’s List (Every Semester)

Where have you interned during your college career?

• King Financial Network, Financial Analyst, Manalapan, New Jersey
• New York Life Insurance, Recruiting Assistant, New Orleans, Louisiana

Where will you be working after graduation? Sterling Associates, Associate

Who is your favorite professor? Professor Tim West showed compassion and care towards his students that went so much further than managerial accounting. His enthusiasm for the content made me excited for every class (even first thing in the morning).

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Business has allowed me to contextualize real world problems into an academic setting and has taught me how to critically assess them. Whether it be in my personal, professional, or extra-curricular life, I have always found a way to apply the lessons and thinking skills taught to me in business classes.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Open your mind to learning opportunities outside of the classroom. All the issues you are talking about in class will begin to appear everywhere else in your life, whether it be how to market your club to fellow classmates, of finding the breakeven units of sales for a bake sale fundraiser.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? The connection between all different disciplines. All three of my majors have incredible overlap that learn from and build on each other. The more we study, the more we are able to understand what we have already learned.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I don’t like to live in regret. It is very feasible that I could have been equally or even more happy following a different path or making different decisions, but if I took the time in my day to think about that, I’d no longer have the time in my day to enjoy what I do have.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of the work that I have been able to do as a resident advisor. Being a positive role model is something that is very impactful and important to me, and that role has allowed me to be a positive presence in 50+ freshman experiences.

Which classmate do you most admire? Tyler Welch is not only one of the smartest classmates I’ve ever had the joy of working with, but also is one of the most personable and caring. Every time Tyler sees me, the first thing he does is ask me about how I’m doing. Tyler was also extremely supportive of me throughout my job search process. However, Tyler does not provide with me with special treatment, but rather is genuinely supportive of everyone he encounters.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would have to mention my parents. I have always been given unconditional and unwavering support throughout anything I have done. It has been engrained in me from a young age that not believing in myself is not an option, which has allowed me to thrive in college.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Gain exposure to a multitude of industries and think critically every single day.

What are your hobbies? Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, music (playing and listening), sports analytics, and board games

What made Matt such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?

“Matt is the type of student every professor hopes for. He comes to class prepared, follows up on all loose ends, asks questions to move the topic discussion forward and is just an all-around nice person. He aced everything that I placed in front of him! It was a pleasure to have conversations with him before or after class about the financial world and its challenges. His natural curiosity and the ease with which he processes new information is admirable and impressive. His academic talents were a gift to Tulane and we were very fortunate to have his contribution to the class of 2021!”

Michael Yest
Senior Professor of Practice
Peter R. Ricchiuti Professorship in Finance

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