Invested in finance and fashion, business grad found wealth of opportunities at Western

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—From financial modeling to modeling on the runway, Western Michigan University student Racheal Mmanga has fashioned a resume packed with industry experiences to help her land her dream job after graduation. 

“I never thought my goals for the future had a chance of actually happening, but choosing Western definitely helped me reach them,” says the finance student, who will graduate Saturday, Dec. 14, with a bachelor’s degree and an insurance portfolio analyst position waiting for her at Atlanta’s Voya Investment Management, one of the largest institutional asset management companies in the world.

Mmanga has come a long way in her career journey. A first-generation college student from the developing southeastern African nation of Malawi, she flew halfway around the world to pursue a future in finance.

“Growing up in an environment with limited financial resources sparked my curiosity about how economies function,” she says, adding that in her hometown, there are “not many people with a finance background, so pursuing that as a career will help me in the future to give back to my community.”

Focused on experience

Scholarship opportunities and the world-class reputation of Haworth College of Business initially drew Mmanga to Western. A campus visit sealed the deal.

“At my orientation, I met a student who said, ‘I’ve had an internship every single semester since my freshman year.’ I wanted to do that, too!” she says

Laser-focused on her investment banking career goals, Mmanga was intent on taking full advantage of all opportunities before her. She secured an externship within her first year at Western, learning consulting at leading professional services network PwC. A few months later, she landed a sales internship with CDW, a Fortune 500 company in Chicago focused on information technology solutions.

“It was my first job in a professional setting. I really liked doing that. It really helped develop the skills I was looking for,” she says. “I was able to network with different people and go to different conferences and experience the city.”

Another internship opportunity arose her senior year at Greenleaf Trust after she was accepted as a Greenleaf Trust Scholar, a program that offers financial support and mentorship to students interested in finance careers as well as internship opportunities.

“With the internship, I get a mentor in every department,” she says. “Not only do they help me with the work I’m doing but also how I can improve professionally.”

Mmanga gained valuable experience in research, retirement planning, operations and wealth management, exploring finance through a variety of lenses.

My internship at Greenleaf Trust has been instrumental in developing my skills in financial modeling, valuations, and market analysis,” she says. “Seeing the things I’ve been learning in class during my internship really helped me understand how it’s applied to the real world.”