Right Place, Right Time
Valerie Busch ’20
Valerie Busch ’20 came to Dickinson almost by accident, but she was quick to make her mark on campus. She now studies international business & management with interests in the connections between business principles and psychology. She came back to campus as a sophomore following a summer spent interning with a financial firm in New York City, and also served an externship at a bank.
Major:
International Business and Management.
Clubs and organizations:
Club Soccer, Idea Fund, Homework Club teacher (YWCA) and teaching assistant.
Honors/scholarships/awards:
Alpha Lambda Delta, Shuman Award, Dean’s List and John Montgomery Scholarship.
On choosing Dickinson:
Interestingly, I found Dickinson in October of my senior year, when applications were almost due. When my mom suggested I visit, after passing through the campus for my brother’s game, I drove down that same weekend; immediately after the visit, I went home and wrote my application. The beautiful campus, genuine people, small class sizes and many more factors drew me into loving the college. After going to three acceptance days, I felt completely right here and knew it was the right place for me.
Favorite movie:
The Shawshank Redemption.
Favorite place on campus:
Red chairs on Morgan Field.
Favorite Dining Hall food:
Parmesan chicken and rice.
Favorite class/learning experience:
My favorite class so far is International Organizational Behavior, an international business & management course, because it is all about how individuals and groups affect organizations and how the organizations can improve through different processes. I think it is very interesting, because it combines business principles and psychology, showing a true relationship between both subjects.
Post-Dickinson plans:
I hope to travel around the world.
As a kid, I wanted to be . . .
. . . a detective or a marine biologist.
Biggest influence:
My grandma had the biggest influence in my life. She taught me to be a very positive woman, to always work hard and always give it my all, no matter the situation. Her selfless attitude inspires me every day, and I strive to be a better person through her influences.
If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be…
. . . Shonda Rhimes.
On my internship and externship:
After my first year at Dickinson, I interned at Lee, Nolan & Koroghlian LLC, a financial firm in New York City that sells health insurance products. The job required me to make spreadsheets, phone calls, sales illustrations and many more office tasks. I learned how to communicate to professionals over the phone and face-to-face. I spent most of my day talking to professionals for different reasons, which gave me a lot of experience talking to strangers about complex information, thus strengthening my skills and increasing my confidence.
I've also had an two-day externship with J.P. Morgan Chase. It was awesome shadowing Dickinson alum Shaun Lorraine '04 and some of his coworkers, and get a sense of what it is like working in a bank.
When we arrived, the two other externs and I had the opportunity to sit in during the morning meeting to hear the updates employees in different departments had to share. It was great seeing how connected the departments are on a daily basis, since those meetings occur every morning. Afterward, we all rotated through different departments—high-yield sales, high-yield trades, credit research and desktop research. I learned about employees' unique experiences and the work they do day to day. I was mostly intrigued by the company's dynamic environment. The floor was an open space, with no cubicles in sight. There was so much communication and collaboration happening, and it was incredible to witness the fast-paced environment. This externship has allowed me to think about careers I never really knew about and careers I may want to consider for my future, so I am very happy to have had this opportunity.
In a perfect world . . .
. . . starvation would never exist and no one would be homeless.
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Published December 19, 2017