Wednesday Satterlee
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
“Confirming nominative determinism by exemplifying Wednesday Addams’ intensity through career pursuits and endless academic curiosity.”
Fun fact about yourself: As a cinema fanatic, I brought my passion to life in high school by directing local TV channel episodes, from yoga classes to bird-watching guides.
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
High School: Mount Rainier High School
Major: Business Administration (Finance & Entrepreneurship)
Minor: N/A
Favorite Business Course: BAEP 450 Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship with Professor Audra Quinn
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Instructional Assistant for BUAD 280 & 281 Taught by Professor Zivia Sweeney
Marshall Women’s Leadership Board (MWLB) Member & Head of New Member Program, mentoring underclassmen and leading professional development
Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) Team Member – Contributed to USC’s first-place victory at the regional VCIC competition
Global Leadership Program Member
Dornsife Office of Overseas Studies Office Assistant, assisting students with global education opportunities.
Grief Center New Venture Seed Competition, Start-up Founder & Competitor
Mount Rainier High School, Financial Literacy Educator – Designed and taught financial literacy courses at my high school alma mater, equipping underserved students with essential financial knowledge
Toys For Kids Seattle Dave Henderson Scholarship Recipient
Career Advantage Program (CAP) Mentee
Dean’s List Scholar & Marrell Family USC Scholarship Recipient
Where have you interned during your college career?
JUICE HOUSE Creative, Los Angeles CA, Intern
Stanley 1913, Seattle WA, Commercial Assistant Intern
J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Seattle WA, Summer Analyst
Where will you be working after graduation? I will be joining the J.P. Morgan team full-time as an Analyst in the Seattle Private Bank.
Who is your favorite business professor? Professor Zivia Sweeney embodies genuine care for her students and experiencing that firsthand has been an invaluable gift. From my first daunting accounting class as a freshman, she made complex concepts approachable by connecting them to real-world scenarios. She saw potential in me and invited me to become her Instructional Assistant, where I witnessed her relentless dedication to helping students transition from USC to the professional world. Her belief in my potential and the potential of all her students, has shaped my journey at USC. For that, I am deeply grateful.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would have done more sooner. Intimidated by my peers’ excellence, I hesitated, scared that if I tried, I would fail. However, your ability to achieve what you want is tied to your ability to persevere. My most rewarding experiences at USC Marshall were also the most challenging. In my senior year, I found a passion for Venture Capital through a rigorous competition and an interest in start-ups through pitching my own in the Grief Center New Venture Seed Competition. Experiencing both the exhilaration and exhaustion that come with pursuing your goals. I wish I had embraced challenges sooner, as they brought me closer to the person and professional I aspire to be.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? It is an exciting time to be a university student as AI and its many uses are being tested inside and outside of the classroom. Through my entrepreneurship classes, I see peers utilizing AI to solve customer problems and build start-ups addressing real issues. Through USC’s Trojan Network, I hear from Alumni about how AI enhances their day-to-day work. In my classes, AI has empowered me to gain new skills like coding Python in my Advanced Operations Management class with Professor Andrew Daw. When utilized correctly, AI isn’t just a tool but a partner in innovation, and I’m excited to see how it will enable the next generation of business leaders.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I learned about the Venture Capital Investment Competition in my Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship class and was committed to being a part of the USC team. My interest in the VC industry began during my internship at J.P. Morgan, and I was eager to deepen my passion, undeterred by the rigorous selection process for the competition. I was honored to be chosen and quickly bonded with the team over our mutual goal to be the first USC undergraduate team in school history to win regionals. We conducted extensive due diligence on three real startups, developed complex term sheets, cap tables, and deal rationales, and interviewed the founders – all under the scrutiny of professional Venture Capitalists. As proud as I am to have represented USC with a first-place trophy, I am even more grateful to have experienced the Venture Capitalist process with such a talented team.
Which classmate do you most admire? I met Amelie Missig in Marshall’s Global Leadership Program and grew closer through the Marshall Women’s Leadership Board. Her dedication to personal and professional growth is unmatched. She explores her interests with intentionality, constantly seeking new experiences and advocating for herself in her academic and career pursuits. Amelie’s curiosity and ambition inspire me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace new challenges. I have no doubt she will excel in her career, and I’ll be cheering her on every step of the way.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My mother, Christy Satterlee, has relentlessly supported me for my entire life and serves as a role model for the person I strive to be. Her empathy and compassion guide everything she does, from her 42-year career at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center to her dedication to helping others beyond her work. I see myself in her anxious need to care for others and her joyful, carefree silliness. She instilled in me the values that shape who I am today and encouraged me to pursue every goal, no matter how ambitious.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? First, I want to give back to the community and inspire others, just as so many have inspired me. Even early in my career, I feel a responsibility to help those I see myself in. As I grow, I’ll mentor young students and share my knowledge whenever I can, because none of us succeed alone.
Second, after taking entrepreneurship classes and competing in the Venture Capital Investment Competition, I dream of founding my own business. The idea of creating a new venture with a team of passionate individuals and going through the motions of the start-up ecosystem is exhilarating!
What made Wednesday such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“Wednesday Satterlee is one of the most exceptional students I have encountered, not only because of her academic excellence and leadership, but because of her unwavering compassion, relentless drive, and deep commitment to lifting others up. From the moment I met Wednesday in my BUAD 280 Financial Accounting class, I knew she was no extraordinary student. That instinct proved correct when she became my Instructional Assistant. I no longer had to worry about these tasks getting done. She handles work with integrity and professionalism no matter how menial the work may be.
But Wednesday’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. She has overcome immense challenges with grace and resilience. While navigating the intense recruitment process for finance internships, she was simultaneously supporting her family as her father recovered from life-threatening heart surgery, all while balancing two student jobs and extracurricular activities.
She secured a prestigious internship at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where she not only excelled as an analyst but also convinced a managing director to donate $5,000 to a charity she supports in Seattle. Her dedication to service doesn’t stop there. Wednesday took the knowledge she gained in finance and returned to her high school to teach financial literacy to under-served students, ensuring that others have access to the same tools and skills she has worked so hard to acquire.
The Marshall community is no different in regards to her impact. I am certain that my faculty colleagues who have also had the honor of teaching Wednesday can attest that she was a class leader and amazing team player. She led the Marshall Women’s Leadership Board’s new member program, mentoring underclassmen, and teaching workshops on professional development. Most recently, she was integral in helping her team secure a first-place win for USC at the VCIC competition. Currently Wednesday is competing in the New Venture Seed Competition with a start-up she founded.
Finally, if that’s not enough to convince you of how special Wednesday Satterlee is and how much she deserves recognition, please note that she accomplished all of this in just 2.5 years as a USC student, due to financial constraints. She made the difficult decision to graduate early, sacrificing time at a school she truly loves. Yet in that short time, she has left a mark on USC Marshall, as a leader, a mentor, a scholar, and an inspiration. Wednesday embodies everything the Poets & Quants Best & Brightest award represents. I cannot think of a more deserving candidate.”
Zivia Sweeney
Professor of Clinical Accounting, Marshall Leventhal School of Accounting
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