Road to Wall Street prepared student for more than career success

As a freshman, Laetitia Park never imagined she would become a leader to whom other students would turn for guidance about careers in finance. But her involvement in Rutgers Business School’s Road to Wall Street Program (RTWS) gave her confidence alongside foundational knowledge.

“When I started at Rutgers Business School, I felt overwhelmed and was slightly intimidated by the caliber of students,” Park said. “I didn’t think I would be in position to give students advice, but now I’m mentoring students, and it has been so rewarding to give back.” 

Park recently became one of the program’s two student assistant directors. The position keeps her busy planning and presenting introductory workshops for freshmen. She oversees recruitment efforts, and helps participants polish their resumes, network with professionals, and find internships. RTWS strives for 100% of participants getting internships, with the goal of converting internships to full-time offers. 

Park is an example of how the program achieves its goal. A senior, she has accepted a full-time position as an investment banking analyst with TD Securities, where she interned last summer.

Ken Freeman, who teaches finance and is managing director of RTWS, described Park as having “incredible talent and potential.” She is “very thoughtful and it comes through in the questions she asks and the recommendations she gives to students in the program,” he said.

In its 12th year, RTWS is a selective program for students pursuing a career in financial markets. Park was among the 60 students chosen in spring 2022 from among more than 300 applicants, she said. The program emphasizes mentoring, networking and internships to provide real-life learning experiences. It is the most established of the five Road to Success Programs offered at Rutgers Business School (RBS). 

The program’s Wall Street bank tours are one Park’s favorite aspects, allowing participants to see firsthand what happens in the workplace and to meet with Rutgers alumni who share job opportunities. “You really get a feel for it,” she said.

Park’s father owned a travel agency when she was growing up, sparking her interest in business. Road to Wall Street, she said, was “a big draw” in her decision to apply to RBS. “Rutgers is such a big place but RBS and especially the Road to Wall Street Program provide a community of students and alumni with close connections,” Park said. “There’s a camaraderie you can’t find anywhere else.”

As part of the program’s requirements, Park took three online finance courses and completed readings about leadership, attitude, and mindset the summer following her acceptance. That fall, she took the RTWS course taught by Freeman focused on technical skills and market knowledge for financial institution careers. Park especially liked the speaker series, during which Wall Street veterans shared their insights.

Each RTWS participant is assigned three mentors early in their sophomore year: an upperclassman, an early-career alumni, and a seasoned Wall Street professional. That, Park said, was invaluable, especially during the recruitment process. Her mentors reviewed her resume, conducted mock interviews and discussed what their jobs entailed. 

Park, a finance major with a minor in political science, landed an internship with a boutique asset management firm following her sophomore year. “My manager at the time told me the firm hires exclusively from Road to Wall Street. That speaks to the polish of the students in the program and the standard the program sets for all the students,” Park said.

In 2023, Park served as senior vice president of professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, in charge of organizing recruitment events. This year, she is a senior analyst of consumer and retail investments for the $300,000+Rutgers Student Managed Fund. 

But RTWS has been the cornerstone of her undergraduate journey. “The program is so much more than just technical training,” she said. “It provides students with a toolkit to thrive in any professional setting.”

-Margaret McHugh