Meet Emily O’Keefe, a sophomore here at USC. Emily is part of our Honors College, as well as the Darla Moore School of Business. She is currently double majoring in International Business, and Finance, while minoring in German. Her achievements don’t stop there. You may recognize Emily as your last year’s residence hall president of South Quad, a sister of Alpha Chi Omega, a member of the Carolina Fund and Carolina Finance and Investment Association, or a Moore School Ambassador. How did she get here? What’s her motivation? Read on to find out!
Name: Emily O’Keefe
Year: Sophomore, Class of 2019
Major: International Business and Finance
Minor: German
Hometown: Fairfield, CT
Her Campus South Carolina: What made you choose USC over the other schools you were accepted to?
Emily O’Keefe: I ending up choosing USC mainly because the business school stood out to me. Darla Moore offers a lot of resources for students, and the alumni network here is highly impressive. Also, coming from the north the weather and college football atmosphere are huge bonuses.
HCSC: How did you decide to double major in International Business and Finance?
EO: The world is constantly becoming more and more connected, especially in business, so I thought majoring in International Business would be a great way to be as prepared as possible to work in the business environment. I also chose Finance for many reasons, but above all, I’ve always had a thing for numbers and love the competitive energy of the financial industry.
HCSC: What have you done to get into the USC Honors College and then later the International Business program? Looking back, do you think it has been worth it?
EO: Well, when I came to USC I knew my goal was to get into the International Business program. The program is very competitive so I’ve devoted a lot of time into building up my resume. A big part of this was maintaining a 4.00 GPA, joining organizations, and being admitted into the Honors College the summer going into my sophomore year. It has definitely all been worth it!
HCSC: What are your plans for the next two years here at USC?
EO: I plan on studying abroad in the Spring of my junior year. I’m not exactly sure where I want to go yet, but I’m considering Zurich, Switzerland so that I can be exposed to and improve on the German language. I am also always trying to get more involved on campus. I’m currently in the process of becoming a mentor for Moneythink, an organization that teaches financial literacy to local low income high school students. I also would really like to hold a leadership position in some of the organizations I’m involved in.
HCSC: How do you like to spend your free-time?
EO: Studying!! Just kidding. I really love food so I like trying out a lot of different restaurants. My friends and I run a food Instagram (shout out @5girlsfood) so that’s always a good excuse for some good eats.
When I’m not in school, I love to travel. Last summer, my dad and I went on a backpacking trip throughout Europe to Italy, Czech Republic, Austria and Germany, and I have a lot of other places in mind that I’d like to visit.
HCSC: What would be your dream job after college?
EO: My dream job would be at a global investment bank on Wall Street. I think the atmosphere at an investment bank would be really exciting and an environment I could add value to and professionally thrive. Ideally, this job would enable me to travel around the world so I could fulfill my personal passion with professional.
HCSC: Any last words?
Go Cocks!