Teri Tan
New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business
Hometown: Singapore
High School: Raffles Institution
Major: BS in Finance & MS in Accounting
Minor: Gender & Sexuality Studies
Favorite Business Courses: Financial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Modeling & Analysis, Equity Valuation, Investment Banking
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Senior Year:
NYU Stern Inter-Club Council (ICC) — Director of External Affairs and Senior Advisor
Verge New York Fashion Week – Runway model for Jag & Co.
Out for Undergraduate Business Conference (OUBC) — Campus Ambassador
NYU Stern undergraduate business course Financial Statement Analysis — Teaching Assistant
Junior Year:
NYU Stern Pride Corp – President; initiated club’s first alumni mingle and won best initiative for Ally Week 2015
NYU Stern undergraduate business course Financial Statement Analysis — Teaching Assistant
Out for Undergraduate Business Conference (OUBC) – Participant
Sophomore Year:
NYU Stern Pride Corp – Vice President
Out for Undergraduate Business Conference (OUBC) – Participant
Studied Abroad at NYU Prague; Taught English to students at Czech Technical University
NYU Stern Cohort Program – Cohort Director, Class of 2016
NYU LGBTQ Student Center — Peer Educator
Freshman Year:
NYU Stern Pride Corp – Treasurer; launched NYU Stern’s Inaugural Ally Week
NYU LGBTQ Student Center — First Year Queers & Allies (FYQA) Program
APICHA Community Health Center — Queer API Mentoring Program
NYU Singapore Students Association
Where have you interned during your college career?
- High School Summer: PwC, Singapore, Audit
- Freshman Summer: Canaccord Genuity, Singapore, Corporate Finance
- Sophomore Summer: CIMB Bank, Singapore, Investment Banking (Equity Capital Markets)
- Junior Summer: Barclays, New York, Investment Banking (Financial Institutions Group)
Describe your dream job: My dream job is to be a model for children’s clothing – I typically fit in boys (10-12Y) even though I’m 22 years old!
What did you enjoy most about majoring in a business-related field? Capitalism conditions individuals to be valued based on their productivity, hence business schools tend to have an environment where students are constantly engaged; they’re busy getting involved in clubs, starting their own businesses, taking part in competitions, etc. I call this the hustle atmosphere. It is not for everyone, but it is the type of environment that inspires me and in which I work well. Sure, I get tired at times. At the end of the day, I feel immensely accomplished because only such environments encourage the constant improvement and entrepreneurship that allows me to thrive.
Where would you like to work after graduation? Barclays, Investment Banking (I’ve signed my return offer)
What are your long-term professional goals? One day, I hope to be involved in a more entrepreneurial role by starting my own business or helping with the development of emerging companies.
Focus on your business classes, but if you have other interests beyond business, do not neglect them. Business can intersect with most other interests and the result of the mix can be something beautiful.
“I knew I wanted to major in business when…I turned my dad’s chocolate cake baking hobby into a business opportunity – I convinced him to let me sell them in school and give me a commission for each box I sold.”
“If I didn’t major in business, I would be…an actor.”
What was the happiest moment of your life? It was getting into NYU Stern, because that moment signified a change in the direction of my life that exposed me to great opportunities in the best city in the world.
Which academic or personal achievement are you most proud of? Walking the runway for Verge in New York Fashion Week
What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? A unicorn. Unicorns are fictitious animals and my professional brand is about achieving the impossible, reaching towards a utopia that unicorns represent.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My mother. Ever since I was young, she was the only person I could trust. Even though we are so far apart – she’s in Singapore – I know that at the end of the day I can count on her. She has never pressured me to be successful by normative standards – by getting all ‘A’s, getting into good schools, etc. – but always told me to do my best (“and God will do the rest”). She is the driving force behind my approach to life, directly and indirectly.
Fun fact about yourself: I was part of the Singapore National Soccer team when I was younger.
Favorite book: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson
Favorite movie: Saving Face
Favorite musical performer: Adventure Club
Favorite vacation spot: Hulhudhoo, Maldives
What are your hobbies? Playing soccer, reading Buzzfeed articles on social justice, jigsaw puzzles, challenging the patriarchy
What made Teri such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2016?
“From the moment she arrived at NYU Stern, Teri was determined to expand the space for dialogue to take place on the topic of allyship and diversity, and she most certainly did. Holding various leadership roles in NYU Stern Pride Corp – including president – she introduced Ally Week to the student body, and went on to increase engagement during the awareness week by featuring a variety of events around inclusion and how companies encourage diversity in the workplace. She has been a strong advocate in raising awareness of LGBTQ issues and helped to facilitate diversity training for student leaders at NYU Stern. She was able bring in her own unique brand of passion into everything she did and challenged students to carefully examine their assumptions. Through all of this, she helped embed inclusiveness even further into student life and, in many ways, brought our close knit community even closer. Teri is leaving a wonderful legacy at NYU Stern.”
Ashish Bhatia
Assistant Dean of Students, Engagement and Innovation
NYU Stern Undergraduate College
