Brooke Levy
Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business
“Helping hand driven by relentless ambition, pursuit of success, competitive spirit, and desire for challenge.”
Fun fact about yourself: I was a competitive equestrian for over ten years.
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
High School: Coronado High School (Coronado, California)
Major: Finance, Specialization in Alternative Asset Management
Minor: Psychology
Favorite Business Course: I would have to say my favorite course I have taken in the business school is Alternative Assets with Professor Bill Maxwell through the Cox School’s EnCap Investments & LCM Group Alternative Asset Management Center. This course was intellectually challenging and offered opportunities to apply the knowledge learned in our Finance coursework to case studies each week. As someone who always seeks to challenge myself academically, I felt this class pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I loved the collaborative nature of the course and the opportunity to get to know and work alongside my peers throughout the semester in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Boulevard Investment Group – Chief Operating Officer, Head of External Affairs
Don Jackson Center for Financial Studies – Associate
Chi Omega – Treasurer, Scholarship Ambassador
Intermediate Accounting I – Teaching Assistant
Operations Management – Teaching Assistant
IbRecruit – Junior Board Member
Cox School of Business – Admissions Ambassador
Forté Foundation – Ambassador
BBA Scholar
Provost Scholar
Where have you interned during your college career?
Riata Capital Group – Dallas, TX – Summer and Fall Analyst
Centerview Partners – New York, NY – Summer Analyst
Where will you be working after graduation?
Centerview Partners – New York, NY – Investment Banking Analyst
Who is your favorite business professor? I have been lucky enough to have some wonderful professors in my time at Cox, but I would have to say Professor Nils Van den Steen was my favorite. Professor Van den Steen teaches the Operations Management course, which all BBA students take as part of the core curriculum. He is consistently dedicated to his students’ success, both in his class and beyond. He knows every one of his students’ names and truly wants to engage with them. Professor Van den Steen also understands how to convey the importance of his course and its application across various aspects of business, regardless of which major a student is pursuing. I have been lucky enough to work as one of his Teaching Assistants for the past two semesters, and it has been a wonderful part of my senior year.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? I never fully comprehended how interdisciplinary the various majors at Cox were. I remember being excited that Cox had a common curriculum, but its importance and the realization of the intersectionality between majors has become more and more apparent to me over my years in the business school. I have seen how applicable and relatable the concepts learned in various courses such as Marketing, Management, and Business Analytics are to my own Finance degree and to business on a larger scale.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Take the time to explore your interests and keep an open mind. I think there can be lots of pressure early on in your college career to feel as though you have it all figured out. While for some that is true, I have always tried to encourage younger peers to remain open-minded as they take the various introductory level classes across majors. The best thing you can do for yourself and your success in college is to find the area of study where you can apply your own skillset and cultivate your intellectual interests. Business is also heavily relational. I would encourage you to always grow your network and take advantage of any opportunities that come your way – you never know what could come of it.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I wish I had pursued more coursework outside of Finance. I have always been very math-minded, and I wish had I pursued that interest further during my time here by taking STEM-related classes. I think there are many opportunities within business that can be supplemented by a deeper knowledge of STEM, and I think adding that into your skill set makes you a more versatile student.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? While I have not had the opportunity to incorporate AI into any of my classes, the Boulevard Investment Group has been making strides in finding ways to use AI as a supplement to our work. We have begun integrating artificial intelligence into our research and screening process for selecting stocks, which has been helpful in streamlining that procedure. I am looking forward to seeing how AI continues to develop and be integrated into both academic and professional settings in the future.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of the ways I have been able to both academically and personally develop through mentorship roles in various organizations including the Boulevard Investment Group, ibRecruit, and as a Don Jackson Associate. I owe endless gratitude to many mentors who helped guide me throughout my college experience. The best way I can imagine doing so is to pay it forward. Some of the most fulfilling moments of my time at SMU have come as a result of being able to offer help or guidance to other students. Mentorship, both formal and informal, is very important to me, and I am grateful to have opportunities to hopefully give back even a fraction of the amount others did for me.
Which classmate do you most admire? I would have to say the classmate I admire most is Chloe Candelario. I met Chloe during sophomore year when she joined the Boulevard Investment Group. Since then, she is someone whose drive, grit, and intellectual curiosity impresses and inspires me every day. Chloe approaches the most challenging of tasks with a positive attitude and has the ability to calm those around her during what can feel like the most stressful of times. She has been one of my biggest supporters and best friends throughout my time at SMU, and those who know her recognize how lucky we are to call her a friend. I am looking forward to seeing the wonderful things she will do in New York City after graduation.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My parents have been at the forefront of every success (and failure) throughout my life. My mom has taught me that hard work breeds success, how to make sacrifices for those you love, and the importance of holding yourself to your morals and standards as you go through life. I could never thank her enough for all of her support and inspiration over the years. My stepdad has taught me to always find ways to pursue my passions, the importance of being a compassionate and understanding individual, and how to enjoy the highs as well as the lows. He is consistently the most optimistic and supportive person in the room, and I strive to embody those traits every day in my own life. I am endlessly grateful to both of them for their constant support and belief in me, and I hope one day to be able to give back to them as much as they have given me over the years.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I hope to develop mentor relationships with people I admire, and I hope to one day be in a position to provide mentorship on a professional level. I have loved the mentorship opportunities I have had as a student, and I hope that mentorship can be part of my experiences in the professional world.
What made Brooke such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“It’s a joy to nominate Brooke Levy as SMU/Cox’s Best and Brightest this year, as she certainly is one of our best and brightest? Brooke has never met a challenge she didn’t’ conquer. If there is a way to be the best at Cox, Brooke has obtained it. We consider ourselves lucky that she enrolled as a Cox BBA Scholar and then basically started running the school. I only partially kid! She is nearly flawless in the classroom and her professors adore her. Beyond that, Brooke has been named a Don Jackson Fellow, is a stand-out member of the Cox School’s most selective and prestigious finance program, helps to lead one of our top student-run finance organizations, and never says no to helping others with a favor. At the request of the Cox BBA Admissions Office, Brooke has graciously served as an ambassador of our program so often that we finally hired her to work in the office to be our student face of the program.
I marvel at how Brooke finds time for all her activities while maintaining a strong GPA. She’s had several high-profile internships, runs student organizations, gives back to her school, and does it all with a smile. We’re better because Brooke came to SMU Cox. Her classmates, her professors and those of us in administration will miss her. She has accepted a position with Centerview Partners in New York next year, and I fully expect Brooke Levy to take over the city when she gets there.”
Submitted by Jim Bryan,
Associate Dean, BBA Program
SMU Cox School of Business
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