Scott Mueller

Syracuse University, Whitman School of Management

“A high-energy, entrepreneurial student with a passion for making change. Driven, versatile, coachable.”

Fun fact about yourself: I became SCUBA certified in the Mediterranean Sea during my semester abroad in Madrid, Spain.

Hometown: Ogdensburg, New Jersey

High School: Wallkill Valley Regional High School

Major: Finance

Minor: Information Management & Technology

Favorite Business Course: Financial Analytics

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

•  Class Marshal
• Whitman Undergraduate Board Member
• Teaching Assistant: FIN 454 “Financial Analytics”
• Teaching Assistant/Peer Facilitator: SEM100 “The First-Year Experience”
• Lead Peer Mentor
• Whitman Student Ambassador
• Dean’s List
• Delta Sigma Pi, Professional Business Fraternity
  • Vice President of Professional Events
  • Vice President of Alumni Relations
  • Vice President of New Member Development

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

• Lendlease, Project Management Intern: New York, NY
• GoPuff, Business Development Intern: Philadelphia, PA (Virtual)
• Contributing Writer of an upcoming book tentatively titled Financial Advisors: Finding & Evaluating Your Perfect Match: San Francisco Bay Area (Virtual)

Where will you be working after graduation? Technology Analyst at Deloitte Consulting

What company do you admire most? I have always admired Apple as the pinnacle of innovation and a catalyst of revolution in the technology industry with their apparatus of evolving products and services. In particular, I have admired their commitment to user data privacy, a topic about which I’m very interested; and that they have recently become globally powered by 100% renewable energy.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor during my time at Syracuse is Professor Ray Wimer. Professor Wimer taught the first business course I had ever taken and charted the path for first-year students looking to figure exactly what business school was going to be like. Since then, he has been a great mentor for me over the past four years and encouraged me to pursue my passions and act on making changes and impacts I care about. He is the epitome of a professor who empowers their students

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? During my four years studying business, I eventually learned how business is so much more than the technical things we learn in the classroom. The valuation analyses, the marketing campaign strategies, the Excel training, and the like have been incredibly helpful in learning about business and the fields within. However, everything is connected – and a business cannot operate without each core function working together and organization members working cross-functionally in some way. Teamwork is essential, and the components of listening, empathy, and clear communication with others aren’t just buzzwords. In summary, hard skills are not actionable without soft skills.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Business courses are probably much different than the courses you have taken in high school, so it’s okay to ask questions. Studying business is very collaborative, so be ready to work in teams for most of your classes to put together reports and presentations. It’s also best to go out of your comfort zone. There are so many aspects of studying business – finance, marketing, and supply chain, just to name a few– and each is very different from the next. Don’t be afraid to gain some experience in different fields. At the very least, you will learn new things and apply what you learn to the major you decide on. At the most, you could find the industry you didn’t know you were passionate about.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how change can be enacted through business on both a human and social scale. Business managers have an ability to enact change through internal work cultures, and social change through new product goals and committing to corporate social responsibility initiatives. Majoring in business can give students a basis from which to enact positive change within corporations, organizations and their stakeholders in several ways. Creating positive change within organization yields a further impetus for doing good in the world (and vice versa in my opinion), and I think studying business is one way to gain a starting point to doing that.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Overall, I wish I had double-majored or dual-majored. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Finance and Technology coursework, but if I had to do it over again, I would add another major that is more qualitative and creative, like Entrepreneurship or something in the School of Communications.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I feel honored to have been named 2021 Class Marshal for the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Whitman has given me an incredible amount of opportunities to learn, network, and gain practical leadership experience, and I owe so much to the school for all it has helped me with.

Which classmate do you most admire? For the past four years in which I have known her, I have admired Ruth Bang, my friend and the person with whom I share this nomination. Ruth is brilliant and has constantly shown an unmatched tenacity in academics, extracurriculars, and leadership positions. I’m proud to call her a friend and know that she will go far.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? While it is very difficult to narrow this down to one person, I would like to name Carol Jurkouich, my adviser for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), which I was very involved with in high school. I have Mrs. J to thank for helping cultivate my skills in public speaking, leading an organization, gaining confidence and working with several different teams. Working in this organization under my adviser was the undoubted foundation of any achievement I have had in college.

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

• Start a company focused on personal and enterprise data privacy and protection
• Earn a JD and MBA through a joint-degree program

What are your hobbies? Swimming, Reading, Coding, Football, Traveling

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

“The one things that stands out about Scott Mueller is that he not only possesses a sharp analytical mind, but he is also personable, generous with his time and talents and always willing to help classmates or other students with problems. These characteristics often don’t go hand in hand and makes Scott stand out amongst his peers.”

Professor Ray Wimer
Professor of Retail Practice

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