Wall Street Pipeline: Lazard Alumni Return to Dickinson to Recruit
At left, Yelyzaveta (Liza) Buriak ’27 and Maya Bondarenko ’27 have taken part in the Lazard Summer Internship Program previously, and they will again in 2026. Photo by Dan Loh.
Alumni share insights, opportunities, tips and encouragement while seeking new talent
by Tony Moore
Three Lazard alumni, including two familiar faces and a recent graduate, spent their afternoon on campus in late October guiding sophomores and first-year students through the intricacies of landing summer internships in private capital advisory.
Lazard, founded in 1848, is one of the most respected names in global financial services, and the session drew a crowd eager to learn how a Dickinson education can open doors to one of Wall Street’s most discerning firms.
“I'm committed to Lazard,” Holcombe Green ’92, global head of private capital advisory (PCA), told the gathered students, “but I'm also committed to getting as many Dickinson students jobs on Wall Street as possible.”
From left, Jianan Yang ’13, Holcombe Green ’92 and Rachel O’Brien ’22. Photo by Dan Loh.
From Dickinson to Wall Street
The visit was led by Green ’92, a Dickinson trustee and vice chair of the Board of Trustees Committee on Investments who regularly comes back to Dickinson to recruit students. Green was joined by Jianan Yang ’13, a director in the PCA practice, and Rachel O’Brien ’22, an investment banking analyst. The trio was on campus to recruit for Lazard’s Summer 2027 Private Capital Advisory Analyst program, aimed at Dickinson’s classes of 2028 and 2029.
With two Dickinson students—Yelyzaveta (Liza) Buriak ’27 (international business & management, quantitative economics) and Maya Bondarenko ’27 ( international business & management, quantitative economics)—already set to intern at Lazard next summer, after already doing so in the summer of 2025, the event showcased how alumni engagement continues to build a strong pipeline from Carlisle to Wall Street. Along the way, Green noted that there are currently four Dickinson alumni at Lazard, all in his PCA group.
“All alums at Lazard, other than me, to varying degrees got to the firm through the interactions we've had on campus,” Green said. “Most recently, Hana Vu ['25] joined our firm as an analyst this year, and she found us through our recruiting efforts on campus.”
The visit included a Q&A session and résumé workshops led by O’Brien and Yang, who shared practical advice on preparing competitive applications and building confidence for interviews. The conversation spanned everything from networking etiquette to the nuances of secondary market transactions and M&A strategy, offering students a master class in private equity.
The Experience
For Bondarenko, the summer experience at Lazard confirmed her path—a path that includes another round at Lazard’s NYC office next summer.
“My internship at Lazard taught me more than any classroom could,” she said. “Working with the PCA team, I gained hands-on experience in primary, secondary and real asset fundraising. Surrounded by an inspiring and supportive team, I grew tremendously and discovered with full certainty that finance is my true passion.”
She also emphasized that Dickinson’s alumni network played a pivotal role in her success.
“Dickinson’s network has been incredibly helpful,” she said. “The college hosts several finance-related events, including this regular visit from Lazard’s PCA team. Meeting them in person and hearing their advice on financial modeling, networking and career development was incredibly motivating and helpful.”
Getting There
In the same vein, O’Brien reflected on how her campus experience set the stage for success.
“I was in the Student Investment Group, and that was obviously one thing that sparked my interest in finance and set the stage for what I needed to prepare to go into investment banking,” she said. “And then meeting Holcombe and speaking with various alumni presented me with a ton of opportunities.”
As Bondarenko put it, to students looking to follow in her and O’Brien’s footsteps, “Take full advantage of everything Dickinson offers. Attend networking events, reach out to professionals and get involved with clubs or competitions. There are many opportunities around you; stay curious, be proactive and say yes to new experiences.”
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published November 25, 2025