Interview with Tess Wilner ’16
Tess Wilner ’16
Economics and business major
Spanish minor
Women’s Softball Team
From Maple Grove, Minnesota
What made you decide to come to Cornell?
Originally, I heard about Cornell College through Coach Ness. She contacted me, and I starting researching Cornell and was very intrigued by One Course At A Time. I thought it provided lots of opportunities for unique learning experiences and really helped to enhance the balance between being a student and an athlete. I also really liked the fact that the student body is from all over the country, and even the world. Coming into school not knowing anyone, it helped knowing that the majority of the other first-years were in the same boat. Visiting campus and meeting the softball team showed me how much of a community the student body of Cornell was helped to solidify my decision.
What will you do after you graduate?
After graduation I will work as a Credit Analyst at Great America Financial Services, a company based out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In this job I will use the knowledge of economics and finance that I acquired through my studies at Cornell, combined with the critical thinking skills I developed to analyze different company’s financial performance and approve or deny requests for loans.
How did your Cornell education lead to your job offer?
The small class sizes and extended amounts of time students and their professors spend together create strong bonds between faculty and students where professors understand what helps different students excel. When I began my employment search, I went to Professor Santhi Hejeebu in the Economics and Business Department and told her where I was applying. She was then the one who pointed me in the direction of Great America and told me that she thought I would fit in very well at that company based on its team based structure and how I enjoy a collaborative work environment. By having faculty that have the opportunity to learn each individual student’s strengths and weaknesses, my professor was able to help lead me to a company where she felt I would fit well and could continue to grow.
