Devin Katz

Becoming a business role model

Devin Katz is a student in the combined-degree Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program. With commencement approaching, he reflects on his most meaningful experiences at Warrington.

When asked to share about himself, Devin Katz (MSF ’22) had to fight the reflex to launch into his ready interview answer. As he looks forward to graduating from UF this December, he has already built business habits to equip himself for the corporate world.

Katz is a Florida native, born and raised in Broward County. However, he wasn’t partial to the Gator community until he visited his sister, a UF alumnus, on campus.

“We weren’t really a Gator family, but my older sister attended UF and after seeing how happy she was – and especially after attending a football game – I knew this was the place to be,” he said.

Out of all the University’s programs, Katz was drawn to Warrington’s business program because of their work to establish connections between students and provide support for student success.

“Warrington’s focus on mentorship and recruiting is above and beyond,” he said. “I think business students at UF feel connected to each other because Warrington does such an awesome job creating mentee classes in its organizations and delivering constant training and mentorship.”

To prepare for his entrance into business school, Katz enrolled in the Warrington Welcome course before the fall of his freshman year. For Katz, it was the perfect way to kick off his time at Warrington.

“I’m very glad I did that because it was a nice, calm introduction to Warrington before hitting the ground running in the fall and seeing my first career showcase,” he said.

Katz really did hit the ground running, joining a professional development program in his first semester of the combined-degree MSF program. Although he didn’t begin graduate classes until his junior year at UF, the Exploring Financial Economics (EFE) program gave Katz the opportunity to figure out what direction he wanted to take his degree after graduation.

“EFE introduced us to a lot of different career paths in finance and consulting,” he said. “My involvement in case competitions, such as the Business Ethics Case Team and the Heavener International Case Competition, helped confirm that consulting was a great fit.”

A core experience during Katz’s time at Warrington is being a Career and Peer (CAP) mentor. CAP mentors are a group of 30 upperclassmen that offer career-related advice, such as resume reviews. During his two years as a mentor, he has become a project manager and even gotten involved in the Warrington Welcome class that was beneficial to him at the start of his academic journey.

“I oversee all the resume feedback we provide in every Warrington Welcome and Internship class,” he said. “Now, as a senior, one of the most meaningful parts of the job is going to Warrington Welcome classes and just feeling excited for what lies ahead for all the first-year students.”

Being a CAP mentor has allowed Katz to leave a positive impact at Warrington, and he hopes to continue being a mentor in his career. Since he was inspired by other students and alumni, it is important to Katz to inspire others, as well.

“I think a lot of students at UF can point to an older student who guided them and served as a role model,” he said. “That’s the culture here, and especially in Warrington. I have a lot of people to thank for where I am, and that number will hopefully continue to grow.”

After graduation, Katz anticipates starting his career in business consulting. Because of his dedication in the MSF and EFE programs and his extensive preparation for life after college, he is ready to start his role as a Business Analyst at the McKinsey office in Miami.

“I’m glad to be entering a career in consulting because of the wide exposure to different types of business problems,” he said. “It’s hard to say whether I’ll do consulting long-term or pivot to an industry, but I’m grateful to know my next step.”

As his time at Warrington comes to a close, Katz encourages current and incoming students to try a variety of opportunities during their college experience.

“Don’t feel like there is a set path you have to follow,” he said. “College is for trying different things and what is right for someone else, whether that’s professional, extracurricular, or academic, probably won’t be right for you. Skills are transferrable, trying is succeeding, so just go out there and “fail” at something.”