Bella Schraa
Bucknell University, Freeman College of Management
“Driven leader who thrives on connection, curiosity, teamwork, global perspectives, and impact.”
Fun fact about yourself: I speak Dutch — my family is originally from the Netherlands!
Hometown: Old Greenwich, CT
High School: Greenwich High School
Major: Finance
Minor: Sociology
Favorite Business Course: My favorite business course at Bucknell was one of my first — Introduction to Organization and Management (MGMT 101). I have taken many amazing business courses at Bucknell, but the hands-on approach to running a real organization set this class apart. This class allowed my classmates and me to start and manage our own company while simultaneously organizing a service project in the local community. My role was to oversee all operations of our company’s business division and order fulfillment, which helped us raise more than $2,500 for the Herr Memorial Library in nearby Mifflinburg, PA. Steering our company to success was a very thrilling experience, but what made it even more special were the close bonds and relationships I built with my peers along the way. Running our company helped me learn through experience the importance of teamwork and establishing strong work cultures in order to ultimately reach a common goal. The experience of coming together as a team to create a strong social impact within the community was a very powerful part of my Bucknell education.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Captain of the Division 1 women’s water polo team
Women’s water polo representative for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (2023-25)
Finance director and vice president of standards for Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority
Vice president of Dutch Club
Vice president of business division for MGMT 101 Company D (Fall 2023),
Student representative for the Freeman Global Education Committee
Member of Women in Business
Member of Bison Finance Society
Where have you interned during your college career? During summer 2024, I served as a finance and funding intern at FinanceFair in Dublin, Ireland, while taking part in the Bucknell in Dublin study-abroad program. The following summer, I served as a summer analyst at Jordan Park Group in San Francisco.
Where will you be working after graduation? After graduation, I will be working as a financial analyst at Jordan Park Group in San Francisco.
Who is your favorite business professor? It was Dean Ivy Kepner, as she led my abroad program in Dublin and ensured that I had a truly special experience. Dean Kepner brings energy, enthusiasm, positivity, and comfort to the academic environment. Being able to have become so close with such a dedicated professor has made my college experience so much more positive. Meeting Dean Kepner was truly a turning point in my four years at Bucknell.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I have gained from studying business is the importance of networking. There is so much opportunity to expand and widen your network, and being able to gain different perspectives and life stories is invaluable to your personal growth. Everybody has a different story and can bring something new to the table, so being open and willing to meet and hear out new people can give you a new perspective on life that you never knew you needed.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Network, network, network! Business is such a broad field with so much opportunity. Gaining insight into different industries and experiences may help guide you to your ultimate destination. The best lessons and advice I have received came from individuals I have met during my college career, and I truly would never have gotten to where I was without meeting these individuals. Therefore, I would encourage students to meet as many people as they can.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would have become more involved earlier on. My four years at Bucknell have flown fly by, so I’d encourage other students to never take any moment for granted. If you are even lightly interested in something, try going to a club meeting, event, or even office hours. Getting involved early on helps you build a strong community around you and to feel more confident in your own abilities. Looking back, I realize that the moments I stepped out of my comfort zone were the moments I saw new opportunities Therefore, I wish I had embraced some of these activities 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? One way that the business school has integrated AI into our programming is through active discussions around AI ethics and practical AI applications into coursework. In my experience, AI in learning environments should be treated cautiously, as it can encourage shortcuts that minimize deep thinking and creativity. However, I have learned that it can also be a valuable academic tool when used with intention. I have found AI particularly helpful for organizing notes, creating study plans, and generating practice exams. When utilizing AI this way, it has enhanced my organization and preparedness without diminishing creativity and learning.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of the growth I’ve experienced as part of the women’s water polo team. When I arrived at Bucknell, both our team’s culture and its performance were struggling — we had 26 losses my first season. As a first-year student, this was devastating — I wanted to work hard and to win. That year, my class of water polo teammates came together and decided we wanted change. We worked to create a positive team environment, a strong team culture and a relentless work ethic. Over time, this commitment led to success; last year we ended our season with 15 wins, and I’m now going into my senior year with high hopes of appearing in the Collegiate Water Polo Association championship game this April. Water polo has taught me many valuable lessons that I will carry into my professional career. By experiencing many high moments and low moments with my team, I was taught the value of perseverance, leadership, and trusting the process.
Which classmate do you most admire? I would like to recognize two classmates: Stella Michel and Chelsea Capan. Stella and Chelsea are both astonishing students, and I am grateful to have been finance classmates with them since joining Bucknell. Stella is extremely hard-working and determined, and carries so much grit. Through working with her in several classes as well as in Kappa Kappa Gamma activities, I have come to admire her amazing qualities as a student. Following her graduation, she will be working as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, where I know she will thrive and do amazing things.
Chelsea is another remarkable student who I have also worked with in several classes alongside becoming close friends with her. Chelsea is extremely intelligent, can solve any problem you present to her, and is one of the most caring people you will meet. She has been a patient and willing mentor to me as we have worked together in the finance program. Following her graduation, she will be working as a financial analyst at Bank of America.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My parents. If it wasn’t for all their support, I would never in a million years be where I am now. My parents have always pushed me to achieve my personal goals while supporting all interests I have gained. Without their constant love and support, I would not have had the confidence, motivation or resilience to pursue the opportunities that have shaped who I am today.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
1. Build a career in wealth management centered on client relationships and impact. I hope to develop many skills and strategies to help guide individuals and families to achieve financial security and success.
2. Continue traveling to gain cross-cultural exposure, which will allow me to better understand how financial systems, client needs, and norms differ across different regions. My experience with Bucknell in Dublin highlighted how differently societies operate.
What made Bella such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?
“The summer of 2024 in Dublin, Ireland, is the perfect setting for me to give you a picture of this extraordinary young woman. Bella spent the 8-week Bucknell in Dublin program impressing everyone around her — her internship organization, her classmates, her instructors and me (the Dublin program director and course instructor for MGMT 290: Management in a Global, Societal and Cultural Context) — with a kind of genuine, thoughtful and hardworking approach to everything she did. As Bella’s academic associate dean at Bucknell, I saw that she was a stellar finance student. What I saw daily during our time together in Dublin went far beyond that.
She was stand-out in her internship with FinanceFair, where she created a valuable process map and feedback loop for AI tools and earned high praise for her “willingness to learn” and “fantastic attitude,” which led to her work output being “enormously valuable” and the enthusiastic summation that they would “have her back in a heartbeat.” It was a big impression to make in a short time in a different culture. Beyond her technical contributions, Bella demonstrated a sophisticated ability to navigate an international workplace, intuitively absorbing the nuances of Irish business culture while expanding her own global perspective. I saw that Bella had the capacity to contextualize any situation — social, academic, professional — and figure out how to be most useful to others. She had the skills, as many students do, but she could employ those skills brilliantly to everyone’s benefit, thoughtfully and with such kindness.
Because she emerged from her time abroad with a profound appreciation for cross-cultural collaboration, she was my top pick to become one of two selected student members of the Freeman Global Programs Committee at Bucknell. In this role, she leverages her international experience and broadened worldview to provide the kind of nuanced insight and focus that continues to improve the study-abroad experience for other students.
Bella has many other accolades to her credit, assuming leadership roles in athletics, in her sorority, and in other clubs and activities. Not surprisingly, she has already secured a job after she graduates at Jordan Park Group, where she successfully interned in 2025. No matter how much she does, though, one thing will always stand out: Bella will continue to bring everything she touches an extra measure of competency, honesty and humanity.”
Ivy Kepner
Academic Associate Dean, Freeman College of Management
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