Chinonso Anyanwu
Rutgers Business School – Newark
“Former college-athlete, juggling ventures, finance, philosophy, and (recently) Mandarin—basically a Nigerian Batman from New Jersey.”
Fun fact about yourself: I enjoy having conversations with books.
Hometown: Bloomfield, NJ
High School: Bloomfield High School
Major: Finance, Economics
Minor: n/a
Favorite Business Course: Ethics in Business
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
- The Black Professionals Network | Leadership Award
- Men’s Basketball Team | NJAC All-Academic Team
- Synergy | The Resolution Project Fellowship
- Honors Living-Learning Community
- The Institute for Responsible Citizenship
- Student Managed Investment Fund
- Global Experience Fellow to Singapore and Vietnam
- Junior Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma
Where have you interned during your college career?
The Baupost Group, Boston, MA – Summer Analyst
Accenture, NJ-NYC – Summer Analyst
The U.S. Senate, Newark, NJ – Intern
Urban Solutions Lab, Newark, NJ – Intern
Where will you be working after graduation? I was named a Schwarzman Scholar, so beginning in August, I will be spending a year completing a fully funded master’s degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, part of Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Who is your favorite business professor? Professor Young Mi Park invested in me not just as a student, but as a person. She challenged me to think beyond conventional frameworks and encouraged me to develop a broader vision. Her unique management skills course, helped refine my ability to lead with intention, critically assess opportunities, and connect the dots. Professor Park instilled in me the confidence to trust my instincts and has played a crucial role in shaping how I approach leadership.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? You need to seek unconventional opportunities and give my all to whatever I commit to doing. Failures are rarely as consequential as they seem in the moment. I now realize that the most significant leaps in my development weren’t in the work itself, but in my character and mindset. These shifts often became clear only months or even years after an internship, role, class, or experience ended. The process of showing up, taking initiative, and pushing through discomfort is what ultimately shaped me.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Connect the dots between business and other disciplines. The more I ventured into other fields like tech, history, and philosophy, I realized that the underlying principles that lead to growth and development are similar. It’s easy to confine your thinking to what’s directly in front of you, but real transformation happens when you step outside of that comfort zone and seek intersections. Don’t limit yourself to a narrow path – if an opportunity interests you, pursue it. You can study biology and become an investor or major in finance and become an artist. Keep your mind open to new possibilities and seek to develop the underlying traits that are universal and transferable.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I believe everything happened the way it was meant to happen.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? Rutgers Business School actively engages students in discussions about AI, helping us navigate its potential and uncertainties through outreach and interactive demos. The administration has been transparent in outlining how Generative AI can be used as a tool to support learning and brainstorming. One key insight I’ve gained is there are countless AI tools designed to handle tedious tasks that free up time to focus on deeper work.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Winning Best New Organization with the Rutgers Black Professionals Network (BPN) is one of my proudest moments. Building a community on a commuter campus comes with unique challenges, and yet we were able to create something lasting and impactful. Taking BPN from 0 to 1, an idea to a thriving organization, required the collective effort of many people. I was fortunate to work alongside incredible executive boards, students, panelists, corporate partners, and community organizations who all contributed to BPN’s rapid success. Scaling this initiative has been the highlight of my undergraduate experience, and I look forward to staying involved as an alumnus.
Which classmate do you most admire? The first person who comes to mind is Goodness Ifesanya. We met during our freshman year while leading a youth financial literacy initiative and immediately clicked. As a founding executive board member of BPN, Goodness played a critical role in the organization’s growth. Even after securing top investment banking internships and being elected chief financial officer of student government, he remained committed to mentoring underclassmen and Newark youth. I am continuously inspired by his leadership and commitment to building with intention and direction.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my parents. Both immigrated from Nigeria to the U.S., settling in Maryland before moving to New Jersey. Growing up, I didn’t fully grasp the depth of their sacrifices or the significance of the values they instilled in me. Over time, I’ve come to realize how much of who I am reflects their resilience, wisdom, and unwavering belief in me. Their guidance and emphasis on faith and service has shaped how I approach challenges, relationships, and opportunities, and continues to drive me to build great things. The work I’ve done, ambitions I hold, and perspective I have would not be possible without the foundation they built for me.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
Be a life-long learner
Build more ventures
What made Chino such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“Chino is a student whose leadership skills set him apart, not just because he is confident and capable, but because he leads with humility, gratitude, and an unwavering commitment to growth. Grateful for every opportunity and the people who support him, he makes sure to uplift those around him, fostering collaboration and respect.
His mindset is rooted in continuous improvement – he welcomes challenges, seeks feedback, and embraces failures as lessons. For Chino, leadership isn’t about status or authority; it’s about inspiring others while remaining a student of life himself.”
Elizabeth Fieseler
Part-Time Instructor
Career Counseling Officer
Rutgers Business School
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