Nethra Jayaprakash

Rutgers Business School – New Brunswick

“My earliest memory is touching Stonehenge!”

Hometown: Edison, NJ

High School: J.P Stevens High School

Major: Finance; Political Science

Minor: Critical Intelligence Studies

Favorite Business Course: Derivatives

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurriculars & Leadership

• Honors College Ally Program
  • Co-Vice President
  • Senior Mentor
  • Mentor
• Rutgers Road to Wall Street Program, Cohort 10
  • Mentor
  • Member
• Rutgers Women in Business
  • Director of Conference
  • Events Committee Member
  • Mentor
• Rutgers Business School Women Business Undergraduates in Leadership Development Program
  • Mentor
  • Member
• Honors College Forum Learning Assistant
• UBS Investment Bank Campus Ambassador

Awards & Honors

• Rutgers Presidential Scholarship Recipient
• Honors College Merit Pin Recipient
• Dean’s List, All Semesters

Where have you interned during your college career?

UBS Investment Bank – Global Markets Summer Analyst – New York, NY

UBS Investment Bank – Global Markets Sophomore Analyst – Remote

Paravane Ventures – Product Marketing Manager Intern – Remote

Where will you be working after graduation? UBS Investment Bank – Global Markets GTP Analyst

Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite professor during my time at Rutgers Business School is Professor Joseph Shatz in the Finance department. Something that really makes Professor Shatz’s classes stand out is the way that he utilizes both his real-life experiences on Wall Street as well as current market events to make them relevant, comprehensive, and interesting. The commitment that Professor Shatz has to not only teaching students but guiding them into their careers and acting as a mentor is admirable, and it is classes like his that have inspired me to pursue a career in markets.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I gained from studying business is how important networking and finding mentors is. While it may seem daunting, most people are willing to offer advice to students or young professionals, especially because they themselves have benefited from the assistance of others. Networking and finding mentors are things that can help steer business students towards specific fields and careers to pursue. They can show students how to get there and how to make the best choices in navigating an unfamiliar corporate world.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I think I’ve been really surprised by just how versatile a business degree is; Nearly every field has some element of business to it, and with that comes an incredible number of options for careers and future jobs. I think it’s freeing to know that with a finance degree, I can work on Wall Street or anywhere else, from my favorite fashion house to a startup or even a university.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? There isn’t much I would change about my undergraduate business school experience. If I had to name one thing, it would be being more outgoing in my business classes earlier on in my college career, especially in light of the pandemic moving my classes online 1.5 years of my time in school.  I have been blessed with amazing friends in college, but almost all of them were non-business majors until last year. Having the support of peers pursuing the same kinds of professional goals as I am has been really motivating, and I only wish I could have found that sooner.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? For as long as I can remember, all I’ve ever wanted to do was see the world, from backpacking through Bolivia’s salt flats, hiking an active volcano at Lake Atitlan, seeing Macchu Pichu, skydiving in the Swiss Alps, driving an ATV through the desert in Morocco, and exploring Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Before I started college, I had been to five countries, and I knew that by the time I graduated, I wanted to see as much of the world as possible, especially because I was cognizant that I may not have free time in the same way after I started working full-time. In the past four years, I’ve been to twelve more countries, with plans to go to at least nine more this upcoming summer. I am really proud of how I have been able to take places that I read about in elementary school, like Sintra, and make visiting them a reality despite being a full-time student earning two degrees. Travel has made me more independent, more confident, and in tune with myself, and a more effective communicator, professionally and in my personal life.

Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is one of my best friends, Fiona Doyle. Our friendship started with an LX bus and a switched freshman welcome day group and has been a constant in the past four years that have seen both of us and our friendship completely change. Fiona is the kind of person who pursues what she wants relentlessly, from a specific LSAT score to an internship with the SEC. At the same time, she enjoys the journey along the way. Fiona’s drive to have it all is inspiring, and I think it’s really motivating to have a friend who works so hard to be her best self.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I’d like to thank my mother for my success. I would be living a completely different life had my mother not immigrated to the United States and raised my sister and I as a single mother; Her sacrifice and commitment to giving our family the best life possible have allowed me to follow my dreams. My mother’s emphasis on honesty, morals, and her abject belief that I could accomplish anything I wanted have been instrumental in my own commitment to being the best possible version of myself, and I am deeply grateful.

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

1. I would really love the opportunity to be able to work abroad; I have been lucky enough to study both in the US and in the Czech Republic, which was an incredibly rewarding experience. Finance is a field that has global clients and markets, and I would love the opportunity to enhance my skills by working around the world.
2. I want to pursue further education after a few years, whether that is in the form of an MBA or some other master’s degree; I’d also like to one day get my CFA.

What are your hobbies? In my spare time, I love weightlifting, swimming, thrifting, and reading fantasy novels. I’m also passionate about travel; This upcoming summer, I will be backpacking for two months through Africa and Europe!

What made Nethra such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“Nethra has the extraordinary capacity to be involved in so many extracurricular activities and positions of leadership while still maintaining academic excellence as one of the top students in her class. And while doing all of this, she has also obtained significant valuable experience in the corporate world through many internships and work experiences.

Nethra takes great pride in the enormous amount of time and effort that she spends giving back to Rutgers and the broader community. She has been a valuable mentor to so many other Rutgers students through programs such as the Honors College Ally Program, Road to Wall Street, and Women BUILD Program. Her leadership and mentorship have helped many students obtain coveted job placements.

In addition to these activities, Nethra has been a Teaching Assistant for the Rutgers Honors College Forum, where she again has dedicated her time and energy to helping other students. She has participated in Little Investment Bankers of Rutgers and is a Girls Who Invest Online Scholar.

I have had the pleasure of having Nethra in two of my classes at the Rutgers Business School. Nethra performed extremely well and was one of the highest scoring students. She participated actively in my classes and demonstrated a strong grasp of the debt, equity, and derivatives securities and markets. Her analytical skills, quantitative aptitude, problem-solving ability, strong work ethic, and excellent interpersonal skills were on clear display.

Nethra has not only been an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023, but also has demonstrated that she will continue to be a positive force in her community and the world going forward.”

Joseph Shatz
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice
Finance and Economics
Rutgers Business School

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