Sometimes, you must travel a great distance to pursue your dreams.
This is especially true for Naresh Rapolu ‘24G, who traveled from India to the United States in August 2023 to pursue a career in finance initially.
Naresh earned a master’s degree in finance from Loyola Academy in Hyderabad, India, in 2020 and was working as a finance analyst at Verity Knowledge Solutions, an Investment Banking Firm in Hyderabad. While the professional experience was valuable, Naresh soon realized he desired a different role.
“In finance, we supported them in making decisions, but we never had the option to make decisions or see the real data," Naresh says. "I wanted to learn more about programming and decision-making skills in all business aspects."
This change in heart put Naresh on the path to UNH, where he was drawn to the New England environment and the quality of the master’s in business analytics program at Paul College.
“Here, the culture is very nice. People are so friendly and welcoming,” Naresh says.
Naresh’s favorite topics in his courses are probability and how businesses quantify uncertainties in decision-making. He also values his Statistical Learning, Big Data, and AI business communications class, which incorporates understanding and relaying data to others.
“The main strength of this program is the design of this curriculum,” Naresh says. “It is very helpful to learn how raw data can be converted into meaningful insight and make data-driven decisions.”
Naresh credits Paul College with equipping him with vital skills for future success. Though he was initially challenged by complex topics like coding, he mastered them with support from his professors. He now feels more confident in essential business analytics skills and general communication.
“Some of the life skills I've learned here are problem-solving, how to market myself, and public speaking,” Naresh says. “I also have had good relationships with all my professors and even my academic advisor.”
After graduating, Naresh plans to work at a consulting firm in the U.S. for a few years. He believes that the business insight he gained from his time at Paul will assist him in achieving his long-term goal of starting his own hydroponic business.
-Spotlight by Anya Carver '24
