Rachel Lagasse '19
As a Revenue, Accounting, and Controls Associate at MathWorks, Rachel Lagasse ’19 is an integral part of the mathematical computing software company’s Finance and Operations Team. As part of a group of 15, she handles a wide range of responsibilities that change from project to project.
That suits her just fine. “I like being able to get involved in a bunch of different things at once,” she says. “It's very dynamic and differs by the day, which keeps it interesting and fun for me.”
Her majors in Finance, Spanish, and Actuarial Mathematics helped her prepare for a demanding career. “When I was applying for the job, I think they realized that my education at Bryant was very extensive. They really liked that because there’s a lot of different hats I have to wear in the role,” says Lagasse.
“One reason I picked Bryant was because I wasn’t sure what area of business I wanted to go into,” she notes. “I chose to go to Bryant because it was a very good business school and I knew that whatever I chose would be a good option.”
Time at Bryant also gave Lagasse the chance to break new ground with her Honors thesis, “Cryptocurrencies: Applications and Investment Opportunities.” For more than a year, Lagasse, aided by her mentor, Professor of Finance A. Can Inci, Ph.D., investigated the role cryptocurrencies have played and could play in enhancing portfolio performance, establishing that they can play an important and useful role in both optimal portfolio construction and in investments. Her findings were recently published in the Journal of Capital Markets Studies.
“I saw an opportunity to explore something that a lot of people were talking about but very few people seemed to really understand,” says Lagasse. “I made it a goal to help people gain a better sense of how cryptocurrencies work, and how you can use them in your own investments.”
The thesis, she says, helped her acquire a wide range of skills and to stand out when applying for jobs. “It was definitely something they asked a lot about I was interviewing at MathWorks,” Lagasse remembers. “I love talking cryptocurrencies and about what I found. It's really cool to be able to share one of your passions.”
Real World Experience
Research
Honors Thesis: Cryptocurrencies: Applications and Investment Opportunities
• Researched cryptocurrencies and how they could be used to diversify a financial portfolio
• Published in the Journal of Capital Markets Studies
Leadership
Vice President of Membership Recruitment/Panhellenic Delegate/External Activities Chair, Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity
• Served as the main point of communication between the fraternity chapter and the Panhellenic Council
• Participated in executive board meetings and organized activities and events for the chapter
Honors Program
• Engaged in comprehensive analysis and discussion of topics across a wide range of disciplines with a community of some of the University’s most talented and driven students and educators
Research
Stock Track Tournament
• Virtually invested and tracked $1 million in the stock market over the course of a semester
Company Financial Statement Analysis
• Conducted a semester-long, full company financial analysis of the Kellogg Company
A Connected Community
Bryant's purposeful student life delivers co-curricular immersion with an inspiring, collegial community. Students forge deep connections that last a lifetime.
“Bryant has taught me to be an exceptional leader, and we really emphasize experiential learning. I’ve learned how to lead a group of people and how to understand people, and I’ve taken that with me in everything that I’ve done.”
“Bryant truly helped me develop my passion for accounting, supported my career development and interview skills, and ultimately helped get me a full-time job as a tax staff member at Citrin Cooperman.”
"My high school accounting teacher ... is a Bryant alum and would tell us about finance as a career and all the options it would give us. He encouraged me to go to Bryant and helped me through the process."