Chak Pellakuru
Class of 2013
Rocky Martin
Class of 2017
Bidemi Palmer
Class of 2018
Amy Horenstein
Class of 2016
Rachel Kerrigan
Class of 2014
Chak Pellakuru
Class of 2013
Concentration: Finance
Dual Degree: Communication
Succeeding as: Financial Analyst at ESPN
Chak completed the Dual Degree Program while at BU and graduated Summa Cum Laude from both the Questrom School of Business with a concentration in Finance, and the College of Communication with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. Starting in his freshman year, Chak was able to garner valuable experience and establish sustaining friendships while working in the Questrom Undergraduate Development Center. Chak was also a member of the Questrom Honors Program and participated in the International Field Seminar to Ireland during his freshman year, taking advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime experience to visit the country of Ireland and learn about various businesses that operate there. Also during his time at BU, Chak participated in the Finance and Investment club, the Sports Management Association, and was the Vice President of the LOCK Honorary Service Society. Chak also took advantage as an active participant in intramural athletic opportunities on campus, served as a sports marketing intern for the National Foundation for Cancer Research, and went on to intern in Digital Analytics at The Hartford.
Upon graduation Chak began to work full-time at The Hartford as a financial analyst in the Financial Leadership Development Program (FLDP). He gained valuable experience working in multiple areas of the finance department, including exposure to planning, reporting, and analysis aspects. Chak currently works at ESPN as a financial analyst, bringing together his passions of communications, sports, and finance.
Chak thoroughly enjoyed his time at Questrom and wants to let new students know:
“Take advantage of everything that is offered to you during your time at Questrom. I was able to take away a wide array of skills and experiences during my time at Questrom that have helped me in so many different ways. From working effectively with a team, perfecting your presentation skills, developing the ability to conduct meaningful financial analysis, and even completing a thorough business plan on a new product idea, the diversity of knowledge available to you at Questrom is truly invaluable. These are not just skills you need to succeed in the business world, but these are also skills that will leave you in a position to succeed in whatever avenue you pursue in life. Take advantage of Questrom, take advantage of living in a diverse and business savvy city like Boston, and most importantly, take advantage of the opportunity to mold your life and career in whatever area you feel most passionate about.”
Rocky Martin
Class of 2017
Concentration: Finance
Succeeding As: Data Analyst, Criteo
After a year at American University, Rocky transferred to Boston University, graduating in December 2016 with a concentration in Finance. During his time at Questrom, he worked as a Career Skills Coach in the Undergraduate Development Center where he assisted his peers with resume & cover letter building, interview preparation, and job search fundamentals. Rocky regularly used the team-building and organizational behavior skills learned during his time at Questrom in his work, and recently leveraged a lot the concepts learned in career skills classes when changing roles.
“The concepts and frameworks I learned from classes on organizational behavior and social sciences have been core to the way I manage interpersonal relationships in the office and across my network. Even if you have excellent critical thinking and analytical ability, you’ll have much less impact if you can’t effectively communicate to people around you in ways that resonate with them.”
The statistics & analytics courses Rocky took during his undergraduate career were quite formative in building his career as a data analyst. He was able to frequently cite projects and classwork in interview questions when applying for internships as a student. During the summer after his junior year, Rocky completed an internship with Liberty Mutual as part of their Analyst Development Program. There he was able to gain more knowledge about the fundamentals of business and hone his analytic skills. While still a student, Rocky accepted an offer from Liberty Mutual to join the full-time Analyst Development Program following graduation. The program consisted of a year of rotational assignments across various areas of the business, such as marketing, product, and distribution, followed by placement in to an open analyst role within the company. In 2018, Rocky’s interests pivoted to mid-size tech companies. He credits Questrom’s career management courses with successfully managing the transition. Currently, Rocky is at Criteo, a global advertising technology company, where he’s been able to complement his analytics skill set with more consultative projects for retail & travel clients.
Bidemi Palmer
Class of 2018
Concentrations: Law and Management Information Systems
Succeeding as: Technology Analyst at Accenture
Bidemi Palmer is currently a Technology Analyst at Accenture. She graduated from Questrom School of Business in 2018 where she dual concentrated in Law and Management Information Systems. Throughout her time at BU, Bidemi was a part of the team that successfully planned and hosted the first TEDxBU, a campus wide TEDx event. She was a Computer Science Teaching Assistant, staff member on the campus wide magazine, Off the Cuff, and briefly represented Boston University on the Women’s Rugby team. She participated in multiple case competitions and studied abroad in Shanghai, China where she learned to speak intermediate Mandarin and later became a Boston University Study Abroad Ambassador. Upon her return, she tutored international students looking to improve their English speaking skills.
“Studying abroad in Shanghai was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences I had at BU considering that I had no extensive exposure to Mandarin or Chinese culture prior to the trip. I encourage anyone to step outside of their comfort zone in any way possible. Whether it’s a class about a subject you know nothing about, or it’s an internship that requires different skills, it’s in these challenging experiences that you learn the most. BU is an enormous school, so I would also encourage you to be proactive to find activities that interest you.
Through Questrom, Bidemi had the opportunities to intern as an Alpha Team Member with The Center for Global Enterprise on their NFL engagement, Bynder, and Charles River Laboratories. More recently, she led an independent video project through her Questrom law class labeled “About Time,” that interviews and highlights women of color in leadership positions in Boston; the project has been recognized by the Clinton Foundation Global Initiative.
She currently resides and works in New York City, where she continues to work on her independent project and advise Questrom students pursuing their independent projects for their law class. At Accenture, she helps her client solution and implement cloud-based Customer Relationship Management solutions and helps Accenture further their blockchain efforts.
“One of the reasons I value attending a business school such as Questrom is that it taught me practical skills, such as effective communication and efficient networking. As a part of my job, I have to maintain a good business-client relationship and most of that is achieved through communication. As a result of Questrom’s presentation-laden curriculum, students are taught early in college how to communicate well. Questrom also hosts a large amount of networking events with a plethora of companies so I was able to become comfortable with networking. This skill is something I continue to use almost daily within and outside of my company.”
Amy Horenstein
Class of 2016
Concentrations: Marketing and Organizational Behavior
Succeeding as: Recruiter, Atrium Staffing
Amy graduated from the Questrom School of Business Honors Program in 2016 with a dual concentration in Marketing & Organizational Behavior. As a freshman, Amy became involved in the Questrom community by joining Delta Sigma Pi – a coed professional business fraternity and participating in the Dean’s Host program. She later took her BU experience overseas during the Honors Program International Field Seminar in Hungary and the Czech Republic and during Boston University’s study abroad internship program in Australia.
During her junior year, Amy worked on a consulting project with the Boston Red Sox. The connections made from that class led Amy to a job post-graduation with the Red Sox where she worked with premium season ticket holders and limited partners. From there, Amy made the decision to give back to the community and worked in events fundraising for Dana-Farber & the Jimmy Fund. Amy has now found her passion helping other people advance their careers and utilizes her Organizational Behavior degree as a recruiter with Atrium Staffing.
“Between professors, faculty and fellow students there is an amazing network of people at Questrom. Get to know them. Learn from them. Stay in touch with them. These connections will not only deepen your experience in college, but they will be a huge asset professionally and personally long after your graduate. I came to BU because I loved the community there and it is one of the best choices I ever made.”
Rachel Kerrigan
Class of 2014
Concentrations: Entrepreneurship
Succeeding as: Community Resource Manager at Perkins School for the Blind
Rachel graduated from the Questrom School of Business magna cum laude in May 2014. While at BU, she was a part of Questrom’s LOCK Honorary Service Society. She made her way around the administrative offices at BU, and held quite a few jobs while on campus. Rachel worked in the Questrom Undergraduate Development Center, as a Summer Program Advisor for BU Orientation, Residence Hall Coordinator for BU Events and Conferences, a Telefund Program caller, and an office assistant in Danielsen Hall. Rachel also played clarinet in the BU Concert Band for 2 years.
In her junior year, Rachel studied abroad in London. While in London, she had a marketing internship at a small startup company that developed, manufactures, and sells a self-warming baby bottle (yes, you read that correctly!). Rachel also interned at Cradles to Crayons, a local nonprofit, for a year and a half. While there, she started off leading groups of volunteers and eventually transitioned to their Development team, supporting their fundraising efforts.
“I chose a less traditional route than most Questrom students, but everything I learned in the classroom has been applicable in the nonprofit world. The opportunity to work on diverse teams and practice professional presentation skills was invaluable.”
Rachel currently works at Perkins School for the Blind, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of people with blindness and deafblindness all around the world. As the Community Resource Manager at Perkins, she manages relationships with leading companies in the Greater Boston area and staffs the Perkins Business Partnership, an alliance with some of the region’s best-known businesses and nonprofits that is working to break down barriers to employment and expand opportunities for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. In this role, Rachel is partnering with Harvard Extension School to create an online course that equips hiring managers and recruiters with the knowledge and skills to effectively recruit, interview, and on-board people with disabilities and with the strategies to address potential barriers to employment within the organization.
Rachel’s advice for students eager to take advantage of all that Boston University has to offer:
“There’s a lot of pressure to take advantage of every opportunity in college. At a place like Boston University, which opens more doors than you could ever imagine, it can be overwhelming. Instead of trying to do it all and getting burnt out, choose what’s most meaningful to you.”
Boston University Questrom School of Business
Undergraduate Development Center
Rafik B. Hariri Building
595 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 102
Boston, MA 02215
Undergraduate Development Center
Rafik B. Hariri Building
595 Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 102
Boston, MA 02215