Glenys Yevi
University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business
“A kind, dedicated, and energetic student trailblazing her way through business school with grace!”
Fun fact about yourself: Outside of my school and professional involvement, I am a fashion model! I was fortunate to participate in NYFW this past month and had the chance to partake in Miami Swim Week and Austin Fashion Week in the past.
Hometown: Cotonou, Benin
High School: Redhill High School (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Major: Finance and Supply Chain Management
Minor: N/A
Favorite Business Course: Connecting Bauer to Business
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work, and Leadership Roles During College:
I was a member of the following organizations at the University of Houston: Finance Association (2022), Beta Alpha Psi (2022), Fashion and Business Student Association (2022), Business Consulting Organization (2022-2023), Bauer Ambassador (2023-Current).
I held leadership positions in the following organizations: Vice-President of the NABA (2022-2023), President of NABA (2024) – awarded Excellence in External Relations by the C.T. Bauer College of Business. Director of Recruiting of the Business Consulting Organization (2024) – awarded Excellence in Programming by the C.T. Bauer College of Business.
I was recognized by the following organizations: Deloitte Summer Bridge Scholar (2022), Member of Golden Key International (2024), Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society (2023), National Society of Leadership and Success (2024), Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2024), Dean’s List (2022- Ongoing)
I won the following award: KPMG Ideation Challenge University Finalist (2023)
I frequently volunteer at the Houston Food Bank.
Where have you interned during your college career? (List Companies, Locations, and Roles)
* KPMG Embark Scholar Intern in Santa Clara, CA
(The KPMG Embark Scholar Internship is a rotational internship where interns can work in audit, tax, and advisory positions. The internship culminates in a capstone project presented to KPMG Partners at the end of the internship)
* KPMG Global Risk Consulting Intern in Houston, TX, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(As a KPMG Global Consulting Intern, I was one of 5 students in the United States chosen to complete a Global Rotation at one of the firm’s partner offices and become a KPMG Ambassador abroad and on campus)
* Extern: Bain and Company Building Entrepreneurial Leaders Intern, Houston, TX
(Bain B.E.L is a mini-internship program designed to give an insight into what it is like to work as a Bain Associate consultant. Interns work on self-directed consulting projects with the guidance of a Bain Team. )
* Upcoming: Wells Fargo Corporate Banking Intern, Houston TX
(Corporate Banking Interns have the chance to work in the Corporate and Investment bank in this 10-week program.)
Where will you be working after graduation? After graduation, I will be working at Wells Fargo as a Corporate Banking Analyst.
Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite business professor is Professor Madison, who teaches the Essentials of Real Estate Class! She is an incredibly smart and talented professor in practice, who doesn’t hesitate to take her teachings beyond the textbook with anecdotes, real estate tips, and discussions on topics she knows to be top-of-mind for students. She is an equally great mentor, and I always enjoy discussing Academic and Professional matters with her.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I learned from studying business is that your ability to face adversity and pick yourself back up, if nothing else, is the best predictor of a person’s success. As an individual, you have the power to instill change and defy the status quo if you remain determined and seek the right guidance. At every point of my journey, I was hit with setbacks, rejections, and discouragement from others.
Everyone around me can testify to this – my biggest strength is that I have never taken no as a final answer but rather as a sign to pivot. To me, status quo statements along the lines of “This is too hard for you,” “We don’t recruit from your school,” or even “That’s impossible” were encouragements to explore new routes and create new possibilities for the people following in my footsteps. Examples where this mindset is what allowed me to excel in the face of adversity are as the Vice-President and President of NABA at the University of Houston, roles I took on as a Freshman and Sophomore, respectively, to revive an inactive organization. This also allowed me to stand out and work for some of the biggest companies in the business world, which would have been previously qualified as out of my reach.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Enjoy every step of the journey. It is no secret that Business is a highly competitive major, where we are all eager to stand out. Often, we are tempted to focus on others and their journeys, constantly comparing ourselves to the next person and trying to become somebody we are not. This is something I struggled with a lot at first, as someone who had emigrated from South Africa to the United States for my studies. I did not have as many things to relate to as my peers. They had grown up in Houston their entire lives and I was still figuring out the culture of the United States. Despite this, I led with my uniqueness rather than conforming and constantly comparing myself. My business career took off when I did this. A bit of healthy competition is fine, but understand it is an individual journey, and no two journeys will look the same! Being authentic to who you are, where you come from, and your interests are what makes you unique and irreplaceable, so do not trade it off for anything in the world.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? One thing that I would do differently if I had the chance would be to connect with alumni more! I did not connect with a lot of alumni until later down the line in my business school journey: alumni have been an incredible resource, giving me tips and insights into all aspects of the business school, from academics to mentorship to recruiting. Had I not felt shy earlier on to approach them, I would have realized this earlier on and taken advantage of it earlier on.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? The C.T. Bauer College of Business has integrated AI as a tool students can leverage to elevate their understanding of business and be better prepared for the professional world. In some ways, they have done so include doing AI technology-led simulations in classrooms, such as rehearsing sales and elevator pitches. Using AI to practice my elevator pitch was a new experience, but it gave me new insights that I would have otherwise never thought about, such as the pace of my speech and more. Another way they did so is by allowing students to further study AI and its integration in the business world through an AI-based case competition in partnership with KPMG. Through these experiences, I gained a new understanding of the possibilities AI offers in the business world and how to leverage it myself to stand out as a business student.
Which academic, extracurricular, or personal achievement are you most proud of? The achievement I am most proud of is bringing back the NABA Chapter at the C.T. Bauer College of Business. I am most proud of this achievement because it represents what I strived to do with my career as a business student, which is to serve others and instill impactful change.
When I joined the organization as Vice-President, there was no membership as the organization had mostly disappeared after the COVID-19 outbreak, and its previous membership had graduated. However, there were many students of African descent looking to recruit from accounting companies and companies looking to hire them without a platform to connect. I wanted to restore this platform to give these students an increased chance at obtaining their dream accounting jobs. It was not an easy start, as we were left with no sponsors, no memberships, and little support. However, through hard work and perseverance, we grew our team from 3 people to an officer board of 7 people and grew our membership to over 25 students. We raised over $20,000 from sponsorships and donations from firms such as Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Goldman Sachs and more. Through our organization, we were also able to get three students their very first internships at 3 of the Big 4 accounting firms, fulfilling our purpose as an organization. The organization was awarded the Excellence in External Relations Award by the C.T. Bauer College of Business for our partnerships with firms and other student organizations within the college. To be able to help other students achieve their professional goals was incredibly rewarding to me, as I felt I was able to give back to fellow students and the C.T. Bauer College of Business through this experience. I want my career to be centered around helping others and giving back to my community, and I am proud to have been able to do so early on with this experience.
Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is Alexander Lammayot. Alex and I met when working together on a class project in my favorite class, Connecting Bauer to Business, and have found ourselves in the same extra-curricular involvements ever since. I admire Alex for his ability to adapt to any situation and inspire those around him! I know that lots of Underclassmen within the C.T. Bauer College of Business look up to him as a mentor and seek advice from him regularly. Despite his loaded schedule, he has always made time for his fellow students and is passionate about giving back to the College, a passion which we bonded over.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? While choosing a single person is difficult, one person I can’t thank enough is the Director of Student Programming, Joyce Williams. Ms. Joyce, as I affectionately like to call her, has been a mentor for me since my first day at the University of Houston campus. Not only did she see the potential in me before anyone else did, pushing me to seek out my full potential early on, but she always made herself available to mentor me during the good and difficult times. This witty, dedicated, and kind-hearted woman inspired me every day, and I always wanted to make her proud.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first item is to get an MBA. I always knew I wanted to further my education and get a Master’s in Business Administration to take my understanding of business to the next level.
The second item is to become an entrepreneur. How could I graduate from the top entrepreneurship school in the country without ever giving entrepreneurship a go? I would love to eventually become a founder and contribute to the world in that way!
What made Glenys such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“I have had the pleasure of working with Glenys beginning with her term as a student organization officer. This is where I observed Glenys restore the NABA organization in the Bauer community. She and her team of officers enhanced and strengthened their relationship with the national chapter and reinstated the University of Houston Chapter. In 2023, she was inducted as a Bauer Ambassador and college Ethics Advocate. In her time as a Bauer Ambassador, she has represented the college at numerous events and accumulated over 100 volunteer hours, all while balancing her academics and student organization responsibilities. In addition to her commitment to her organization and Bauer Ambassadors, she has a kind nature about her that quickly draws in everyone she meets.”
Jorge Arellano
Assistant Director of Student Engagement
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