Adrian Rosales is a sophomore in the Macaulay Honors College at the College of Staten Island, and a Finance and Information Systems double major. He attended Susan E. Wagner High School on Staten Island and graduated in 2021.Throughout his short time with Macaulay, many doors have opened to him.

“Macaulay has provided me with a lot of benefits that have helped me get to where I am now in my college career. In my opinion, the quality of advisement I have received from my counselors has been a game-changer,” said Rosales. “Lisa French and Anita Romano have gone out of their way to develop a personal relationship with me where my interests and goals are understood.”

Some of the experience that Adrian has received from Macaulay includes an internship at UBS this past September, where he worked in their Private Wealth Management branch in Midtown Manhattan. He also completed a Commercial Real Estate internship, last fall, through Project Destined, a virtual education platform aimed at teaching real estate fundamentals to college students. Adrian noted that each of these opportunities is special.

“I enjoyed the opportunity at UBS to work alongside different finance professionals at one of the world’s largest financial firms. This internship gave me the experience I was looking for to see firsthand what a career in finance can look like,” he said. “I also won’t forget walking through Rockefeller Center during Christmas time to catch the bus back home!”

Commenting on his opportunity with Project Destined, he recalled, “My team competed against other students in “Shark Tank”-style live deal pitch competitions,” We were able to take a tour of Brookfield’s office in Battery Park City and learn about what makes a property stand out from an investor’s perspective.”

Usually when students have many experiences like this, there has to be a balance between studies and the internship, and possibly a paying job. He received assistance from Macaulay guidance counselors to adjust his schedule for the UBS internship, for example.

“I believe staying organized and managing time efficiently is important for being able to successfully balance school and work. Adding all of my assignment due dates onto my calendar was a great help for me to visually track what needs to be done,” Adrian noted. “Getting ahead in my coursework saved me from struggling to complete assignments last minute.”

Looking toward this semester and the summer, he said, “For this spring semester, I am not participating in any internships. I am taking 19 credits, which is what I’m focused on balancing,” said Adrian. “The course load can feel like a lot but it’s important to have good time management skills.” In the summer Adrian will be at the Port Authority as a Capital Programs Intern. He will be working in the Aviation Department at the World Trade Center where he will be dealing with funds and grants that go toward capital and operating projects in the department.

Adrian had some words of wisdom for students at CSI who really want to build a career now and get the most out of CSI. “You can only achieve success if you put the time and effort in. Hard work pays off and taking the initiative to do things on your own is crucial if you want to get ahead. Maximizing the resources and connections that you have is also key,” he added. “Contacting a guidance counselor who can assist you with scheduling or career advice is also very helpful. Joining a club is always a good idea, especially so you can develop your network and learn skills that apply to the real world. At the end of the day, your college experience is what you make of it. Don’t wait too long to get ahead!”

By Vinny Masocol