Jul 30, 2020

Intertwining Economics and Education While Chasing Her Dreams

Ever since she was a child, Marie-Elise Milius ’22 (Lehman College) envisioned herself wearing a sleek pants suit walking down Wall Street with a cup of coffee. “Oddly enough,” she says, “this was the starting motivation for a career in finance.”

Milius became interested in consumer economics and capital markets in high school, leading her to double major in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and minor in Computer Information Systems. “I believe that this combination will allow me to explore not only the economic theories, but also understand the financial aspects in a corporation,” she says.

Milius isn’t just making her way in the field of Economics. As Co-President of the Macaulay Honors Diversity Initiative, she aims to make the school a college of choice for top-scoring students in predominately Black and Latinx schools, especially in Brooklyn and the Bronx, who have shown that they can tackle the rigor of Macaulay and would also benefit financially from its merit scholarships.

“I think it is important to celebrate the cultures we do have, but I believe it’s even more important to expand them,” Milius says.

As an intern in Kitamba’s first Diversity in Data Analytics and Leadership Program, Milius learned different data techniques and how to present a proposal based on the data acquired. Her proposal concerned the disparities of SAT scores in the Frederick Douglass Academy School System, where she focused on analyzing the locations, racial demographics, and scores of each academy.

Milius has recently been accepted into Embark Scholars at KPMG, a multi-year internship program where, in addition to working on a Capstone project, she will be rotating between the audit, tax, and advisory departments. Milius is also excited about her upcoming trip to Arizona, where she will undergo training for the program.

In the future, Milius wants to work in Private Equity or Asset Management. “I love the idea that these fields are technical and analytical,” she says, “but allow you to be client-facing and client-focused.” Her ultimate career goal is to be a Chief Financial Officer of a firm.

When she isn’t busy chasing her dreams and changing the world around her, Milius is either playing volleyball, listening to Soca music, or eating at new restaurants around New York City.

by Rebecca West ’20 (Hunter College)

Source: Macaulay Honors College