Hometown: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Carlos Chavez holds undergraduate degrees in industrial engineering and mathematics from Del Valle University in Guatemala, making him an ideal candidate for a graduate program at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Due to a strong interest in corporate and risk finance, he chose to pursue his M.S. in financial engineering.
His favorite courses so far have all focused on advanced mathematics and applying mathematical theories to finance. They covered in-depth topics including asset pricing, continuous time finance, and extreme risk analytics—all subjects that Carlos feels would be rare to find in the universities of his home country. Plus, he is impressed by the high quality of NYU Tandon’s professors and their ability to explain complex concepts.
Carlos is partaking in many of the resources offered at Tandon and exploring a wealth of academic possibilities to expand his knowledge and professional future. “This is a very flexible program, where you can choose different elective courses based on your interests,” he explains. “I like that we are able to take elective courses outside NYU Tandon, too. I enrolled in three courses at the NYU Stern School of Business, building my experience in both engineering and business.”
Another highlight for Carlos in selecting this world-class finance program was its location in New York City, since it is the financial hub of the world. He is leveraging his connections at NYU to create opportunities to gain real-world experience and pave a path for his career. “Last summer, I interned with a wealth management firm in which I did equity research, looked for possible investment opportunities in the market, valued companies, and assisted the company’s partners,” Carlos says. “This semester, I will join them as a part-time employee.”