#SDSUGrad Spotlight: Alice Melz

During the past year, students at San Diego State University’s Fowler College of Business have faced and met challenges in an unprecedented and ever-evolving time in human history. Through it all, most have preserved and many have thrived in the upheaval that permeated their lives. 

In this series, we highlight graduates from the class of 2021 as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, including those who have secured jobs and internships or are moving into advanced studies. 

Name: Ben Hefter
Major: Finance

Can you describe the position and company you will be working for post-graduation? What will your responsibilities be? 
After graduation, I will be working as an analyst for a boutique transaction advisory services firm. The company focuses on capital raises and mergers and acquisitions for early-stage and high-growth companies in the Software as a Service (SaaS), cyber security, IoT, eCommerce, and B2B software industries. I will mostly be developing investor presentation materials, initiating investor outreach, and financial modeling.   

Ben Hefter, Finance '21

Can you describe a little bit about yourself and what led you to pursue finance as an area of study?
I’m originally from Scottsdale, Arizona and after I graduated from high school, I ended up starting a small business that I ran for a number of years. I had always enjoyed numbers, business, financial markets, and investing, but it wasn’t until I was reading a pretty complex book on the financial crisis while I was going through a very tough patch of my life, that I had a sort of epiphany. I realized that I was far more passionate about finance/investing than I was about running the business that I had. I decided that I wanted to go back to school to get my degree in finance and work in private finance/investment banking. So, I pretty much left everything I had known in Arizona, moved to San Diego and enrolled at San Diego State.

When did you begin your job search and what did that process entail?
I would say that my job search probably began the spring semester of my junior year, or maybe the summer before my Senior year. By the spring of my junior year, it was becoming less and less likely that I would have a summer internship. I had been really selective at the beginning of my search and I don’t think I had done enough networking as I should have, considering how competitive investment banking is. That summer, while we were locked down from COVID, I decided to really start focusing on networking, learning the things I would have been learning at a high-profile internship, and building my resume as much as I could. This whole school year has been nothing but networking, looking for any last internship opportunity I can leverage into a full-time position, and actually searching for a job. I looked at things almost as a game of numbers. I took a very methodical approach, tracking who I was connecting with on LinkedIn, where I was applying for full-time jobs, where I was applying for internships, and any status updates. It literally became like a full-time job for me.

 When did you receive your official job offer and what was your reaction?
I finally received my official job about a month ago and I was speechless! It almost didn’t seem real. In a way, I’m not sure that it has totally sunk in. I have worked so hard to get to this point and sacrificed so much, that it almost still feels like I’m dreaming.

What advice do you have for fellow students, regardless of their field, looking to (jumpstart their career / attend graduate school) post-graduation?
It’s never too early to start looking for internships and networking. The worst thing that can happen is you meet a bunch of interesting people and find out some things you don’t want to do. There really is no downside to starting early. 

What is it that you are most looking forward to as you kick start this next chapter?
I’m really looking forward to working with some incredibly smart people and companies who are working on the technology/products/services that will change the way we live going forward.

How did SDSU prepare you for success not only at the university but after graduation?
SDSU does an incredible job at helping students become very well-rounded individuals. I have been extremely well-prepared to succeed in a finance role, but I was also given all the necessary tools to succeed in life. 

What experience at SDSU has changed your life the most?
My study abroad trip in China was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I learned so much during that trip, both in the classroom and in life. It was an experience that I will truly never forget. I gained lifelong friends during that trip and saw a part of the world that many people will never get to see.