Fowler Alumnus Sets Himself Up for Success in New Yorks Financial Industry

Emmanuel Uwakwe

Many of us have heard the phrase “You can do anything you set your mind to.”    

Emmanuel Uwakwe, is living proof of that philosophy.

Uwakwe (’16, finance) was born in Nigeria and moved to San Ramon, California with his family when he was eight-years-old. While in high school he made the decision to attend the Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University because “It was cost effective, close to home, and my older brother, Kacey (’12, accounting and economics), studied there.” However, his application to SDSU was initially denied. 

Undeterred, Uwakwe knew that SDSU was the right school for him and he didn’t give up: He “appealed immediately,” and his application was accepted.

Building a Winning Strategy
After his successful appeal, Uwakwe moved to San Diego and enrolled at SDSU with his sights set on earning a degree in finance. As a sophomore, he chose to become involved with Associated Students (A.S.), which serves as SDSU’s student government and he campaigned for one of four student representative seats for the Fowler College of Business. “I wanted to learn about, and get involved with, some of the decision-making processes that occurred at SDSU,” he said. “To become a representative of the school meant that my peers and colleagues put their trust in me to represent them and I took that very seriously.” 

Uwakwe’s campaign flyer during his run to become one of the Fowler College of Business representatives at SDSU’s Associated Students

While he was committed to the prospect of becoming a student representative, he was facing an uphill battle from four candidates who had formed a collective voting block. “These individuals formed a powerhouse that made them a likely shoe-in for the election,” said Uwakwe. “I realized that the deck was stacked against my probability of winning, but I decided to give it my all anyway.”  

Uwakwe built his campaign by asking his friends to spread the word of his candidacy, passing out flyers at social gatherings, and asking some of his professors if he could deliver stump speeches after class. After all the votes were counted, it became clear that his networking activities and hard work paid off when it was announced that he had won a representative seat. “People were truly in shock when they saw I had won, but I knew deep down that if I put in the work, the rest would follow,” he said. Uwakwe recalls his winning campaign as “the most fun” he had as a student and his favorite memory of SDSU.

Getting His Foot in the Door
Uwakwe’s hard work and networking skills came in handy again when he applied to J.P. Morgan as a equity solutions intern at their headquarters location in New York City. Before his interview, he did multiple internet searches to learn about the position, reached out to people already working in the industry, and scoured LinkedIn to connect with incoming and current financial analyst interns to ask them questions. Once again, he accomplished exactly what he set out to do when he was offered the prized internship in one of the world’s most powerful financial organizations. 

Uwakwe celebrates his election win in the Spring of 2014

During his internship, Uwakwe met professionals in the organization “who encouraged and cultivated” him daily, paving the way for his full-time role within the organization after he’d earned his finance degree from SDSU in 2016 with magna cum laude distinction. 

As he’d done so many times in the past, Uwakwe used his wits, skills and connections to land his full-time dream job in New York City, as he returned to J.P. Morgan as a financial analyst. He is currently an investment solutions associate with J.P Morgan Private Bank. 

Lessons Learned Along the Way
Uwakwe attributes much of his success to the lessons he learned as a student at SDSU in settings beyond the lecture halls. “Some of the best lessons are not taught in the classroom,” he said. “The best lessons I learned as a student are akin to hard work, dedication, and developing and maintaining a network of people, both on a social and professional basis.” 

He says he would advise today’s SDSU students who want to emulate his success to learn the same lessons. “My advice is to work extremely hard, build a network of peers and associates, and continuously think about the technologies of tomorrow instead of today. Once you do that, you will find success in whatever field you choose,” said Uwakwe. “The world is your oyster, so work hard but also take time off to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”