Nneoma Emeka (B.B.A. '23)
Atlanta native Nneoma Emeka (B.B.A. ’23) discovered her passion for finance and embraced a once-in-a-lifetime leadership experience after graduation. She credits Georgia State for putting her in the right places at the right times.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
How did you choose to study at Georgia State?
Initially, I was looking to get into the medical field and GSU has one of the top nursing schools in Georgia. Then, during COVID-19, I realized nursing was not a right fit for me. I started to explore a lot of different opportunities, and a friend connected me to someone at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. I talked to them and they did such an amazing job of encouraging me and being a good support system for me. Based on my experience, I knew that I had to switch my major over to finance in the business school.
Tell me about your experiences here at Georgia State.
Coming into GSU, I wasn’t 100 percent sure what I wanted to do. A lot of my time was spent exploring and going to a lot of different club meetings related to my major when I was a nursing major. A lot of it was just to get as much exposure as possible, and learn about what was out there because I was still hesitant about my major. I think the exposure was helpful, but once I made the switch, I joined the Finance & Investment Network and I was also a member of the Commercial Real Estate Group. I tried to get as involved as possible, mainly because I really wanted to build my leadership skills.
This past summer, you participated in the Harvard Business School’s Summer Venture in Management Program. What was that like?
I heard of it the previous summer, but I couldn’t participate due to an internship. The application process was strenuous, and caused you to self-reflect and really think about what you want to say. I was in the middle of a study abroad trip when I got the acceptance email, and it was amazing to get that email and to see all of the hard work come to fruition. It was such a competitive application process, and I can see why. All of my peers were so smart, driven and accomplished. I felt inspired being around them and it was a great networking experience.
How did you get a chance to give the program’s commencement speech?
During the program, the staff mentioned they were thinking of doing a commencement speech for the first time in the program’s history, and they were looking for volunteers. I was a little scared even after I put my hand up because of a fear of being embarrassed or terrible. I put my hand up anyway, because I believe that it’s important to do things that scare you. Doing things despite fear had been a theme throughout the program. We had to audition and do a five-minute speech in front of our peers off the top of our heads about why they should pick us. It went better than I expected, and I got picked and gave the speech regarding our many firsts — whether it was being the first to graduate, to begin a career in corporate America, or to create our American dream. I wouldn’t trade it for a single thing.
You mentioned studying abroad. Where did you go?
I didn’t really know much about GSU’s study abroad program, especially for business students. However, one of my peers who did study abroad, I heard her talk about her experience, and I felt really inspired to do some research and learn a little bit more about it. So, doing the research and actually going to Study Abroad Programs was amazing because they really plugged me into the programs that I really wanted to do. I went to Greece, which was related to psychology, and to Italy, related to history. I immersed myself and got the real experiences — not from TV or newspapers, but actually being in the areas — which changed my life.
If you could describe your experience at GSU in one word or phrase, how would you describe it and why?
I would say dynamic, mainly because I felt like a lot of these experiences weren’t linear. I think that’s something I didn’t realize. Change is a part of life, and you need to embrace that. Aside from that, being in the city means we’re surrounded by opportunities. A lot of it was embracing the pace of downtown. Because of how dynamic it can be, I feel like it really prepared me to experience study abroad and New York, or being in a room with investment bankers and chief executives. Embrace it and know what you want out of your experience. Go crazy, go hard and go for it.
