Serin Silue was excited to be named Best Engaging Student within his Master of Science in Finance cohort. The honor is based on not only academic excellence but also enthusiasm, preparedness, and a lasting positive impression.
“I was so surprised,” said Silue, who ensures he thoroughly understands course material so subsequent classes will build on each other, and his knowledge will grow. “I make sure that happens by asking a lot of questions.”
Originally from the West African country Côte d'Ivoire, Silue began his journey at Georgia State as an undergraduate studying economics. Prior to moving to the United States, he attended the International University of Grand-Bassam, one of the only universities in his Francophone country that conducts class in English.
Silue found the transition to life in Atlanta exciting. He enjoyed being immersed in the English language, getting to know the city, and feeling welcomed by Georgia State’s diverse community. After settling into his economics coursework, Silue realized he could make more of an impact through finance. The business major better suited his analytical skills and would allow him to benefit others.
“I want to be a financial analyst within a consulting firm back in my home country,” he said.
Silue recently started an internship at Telos C-Suite, a fractional CFO company that provides part-time financial consulting to clients that do not employ full-time CFOs, often because those companies are small or in their infancy stages.
“My boss is a CFO and worked for JPMorgan in the past. Multiple companies hire him on a part-time basis,” Silue said. “We function as a CFO for them until they reach a particular goal, like selling the company or going public.”
The internship offers Silue an opportunity to apply the skills he’s building in class, like financial statement analysis, forecasting, and budgeting.
Between the internship and experiential learning opportunities at Robinson, Silue has gained hands-on experience with financial technology tools. He also opted to earn an additional Graduate Certificate in Fintech Innovation, a sequence of four classes that will deepen his understanding of the impact of fintech on the financial services field.
Silue’s education isn’t purely theoretical. The curriculum includes the utilization of tools and relevant technologies.
“Knowing that what I'm learning in school is directly applicable makes me feel more confident that I will have the skills to do my job,” he said.