Kiran Abraham-Aggarwal '25

My name is Kiran Abraham-Aggarwal, and I am a sophomore at ILR. This past summer, I participated in three unique experiences.

First, I joined some of my peers from the College of Human Ecology on a study abroad experience in Turin, Italy. I took a course taught by three outstanding Cornell professors called “Population and Policy Controversies in Western Europe.” Second, I worked as a marketing analyst at a financial technologies firm based in London. This experience gave me insight into how CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools operate and how crucial marketing is to a firm’s success. Finally, I interned as a private equity analyst at a mid-sized West Palm Beach, Florida firm.

Studying in Italy

I participated in Cornell’s Summer Program in Turin, Italy, for the first three weeks of my summer. We took classes at the historic Università di Torino, located in the northwestern part of Italy called the Piedmont region.

When I first arrived, I met our small cohort of ten students and we checked out the local flea market and city center. After getting more acquainted with the cobbled streets of Torino, I was excited to embark on my first day of class.

In class, my peers and I learned about the implications of policy and culture on migrants in the European Union. The topics we discussed were exciting and learning from three different perspectives of our professors. Outside of class, we were given free time to explore Italy and were fortunate to visit Florence, Milan, and Cinque Terre. Each excursion was an enriching experience, full of phenomenal food, breathtaking views, and many historic sites and vistas.

My 1st Internship

After my unforgettable study abroad experience, I also worked as a marketing analyst at a financial technologies firm. This experience gave me great insight into managing corporate culture while also learning to operate in a primarily remote environment.

This internship was unique because the firm is mid-sized and allowed me to engage with C-suite executives while managing my tasks and teams. Throughout my time there, I led meetings, worked through problems, and took the lead on projects that I found interesting.

My role let me operate in a hybrid environment and choose which days I worked in person. When I did decide to work in person, I worked at the firm’s satellite office in New York City, close to home. Many Cornell students have internships in NYC, so it was an excellent opportunity for me to meet up with some friends.

My 2nd Internship

I also spent part of my summer interning at a private equity firm. I secured my internship through one of the pre-professional on-campus clubs. My knowledge from the classes I took my first year on campus prepared me well for my work at this firm.

I operated remotely and had the chance to work with a few of my peers from Cornell. We worked on projects and helped deal with flow management, where we corresponded with co-investors to ensure that projects remained on time.

My internships and summer abroad experiences opened my eyes to global issues and perspectives. I had the opportunity to be part of teams that helped me grow my strengths in finance and writing while also exploring new places. I went into this summer unsure of how it would turn out, and I can now say that I genuinely learned a lot about myself.