Uniting for excellence | Isabella Dohse
Isabella Dohse (BSBA Finance ’19, MSF ’20) knew early on in her time in college that she wanted to pursue a career in business because of the industry’s constant drive to innovate. She was drawn to finance, specifically, because she knew it was a vital aspect of that innovation.
“My interest in business came about because I’m very excited by the energy of the business world to always innovate,” she said. “I’m specifically interested in finance because for even the world’s biggest companies to achieve their strategies, they need the proper financing. I hope to take a personal role in that innovation.”
The Tampa, Florida-native’s passion for finance grew deeper after never feeling out of place at a summer internship in Deutsche Bank’s Global Markets Division in New York City.
“[The internship] was diversity centered, it was a group of about 30, and we were from all over the world,” she said. “I have a Dominican background. There were people from Africa, China, Latin America and beyond, and we really got to learn from each other as we worked together on case studies and rotated with exciting teams in the professional environment.
“The focus of the program was on learning and professional development. As sophomore interns, we were encouraged to soak in as much as we could from the day-to-day interactions of the trading floor.”
The combination degree William R. Hough Master of Science in Finance (MSF) student credits her internship with leading her to her dream career in capital markets.
“During my time [at the Deutsche Bank internship], and even more so after I left, I felt a motivation to soak in as much technical knowledge as possible in the hopes of further excelling in next summer’s internship, and more importantly being of real value when I eventually arrive at a firm for a full-time position,” she said. “The high energy and team collaboration in the sales and trading environment is something that I now realize I wouldn’t want to work without.”
Her success didn’t come without challenges, though. Dohse admits that she struggled to find her niche during her first year in college.
“Looking back, a lot of it had to do with the fact that I didn’t know exactly what I wanted,” she said. “I don’t know if I had the right passion or drive to make an impressive impact on any student organization, but I kept working and I kept working. Now that I’ve found what I really love and I have the right drive, I find myself involved in things that I would have dreamed of freshman year, like the Gator Student Investment Fund (GSIF) and the MSF program.”
Dohse said she feels empowered in her involvement because of Warrington’s strong sense of community.
“You can be involved in so many opportunities [at Warrington] and work with your fellow students,” she said. “I think that reaching success in your goals alongside each other is the coolest part. Having that sense of community and being able to relate on the things you wish to achieve is really great.”
Learn more about how Business Gators like you are finding their home at UF Warrington.
