What is the AD Fellowship?

Meet Riya Patmidi, a sophomore at Rice University in Texas and current AD Fellow. In this blog, Riya shares her experience in the Fellowship and the opportunities it unlocked in her career.

During the fall, my AD cohort completed Financeable courses to strengthen our understanding of Accounting, Valuation, and Financial Modeling. We attended regular meetings with Mike, the founder of these courses, each week to delve deeper into these topics and raise any questions we had. Additionally, we engaged in case studies where we built three-statement financial models and presented our presentations to finance professionals.

In early January, we had the opportunity to participate in a boot camp hosted by AD in New York City. The bootcamp included a networking event, a review of financial concepts, a presentation of our case study to a panel of finance professionals, and some time to explore New York City alongside fellow AD Fellows.

After the bootcamp, our focus shifted towards refining our behavioral stories and crafting our personal narratives. Mike generously offered additional time to assist me in crafting my "Tell me about yourself" introduction, taking the time to understand my personal journey and advising on how to effectively highlight my unique attributes. Through discussions about my background, educational journey, academic pursuits, and personal interests, he aimed to understand my individuality, helping me in narrating my story. This narrative successfully connected my experiences as an Emergency Medical Technician with my financial interests, weaving a compelling narrative of my interest in healthcare finance.

Further, my cohort was also matched with finance mentors from our desired firms and locations, who provided invaluable professional advice. Jasmine played a crucial role in supporting me by facilitating connections with students and finance professionals and guiding me through various application processes.

Lastly, the Program Managers, AD upperclassmen who are familiar with the recruitment process, were significant in preparing me through mock interviews.

Throughout this journey, AD has been an incredible support system!