Conversations with Carolina Souza

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolina Souza.

Hi Carolina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, I would constantly question the dynamics of international finance. How and why did the Brazilian Real lose its purchasing power so quickly? A gloomy recession hit my country and harshly affected my family, so I decided it was time for a change. I came to the United States to pursue higher education with a goal to make a difference in my home country down the line. I worked hard to graduate top of my class in high school and secured a full-tuition merit scholarship at the University of Southern California. At USC, I challenged myself with a heavy course load. By my sophomore year, I had completed most of my B.S. Economics/Mathematics degree so I looked for new opportunities. I was fortunate to receive my acceptance to the M.S. Finance program at USC Marshall upon the spring of my sophomore year, the earliest one to date.

During my free time, I enjoy exploring my leadership skills through different student organizations. I was a founding member of Cannaclub USC and today am the president of the org. Cannaclub USC is focused on providing free education and events to help students learn about the cannabis industry in an interdisciplinary way. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been focusing on job placement and have placed over 30 previously unemployed students in opportunities within the cannabis space since it was deemed an essential business during the pandemic. Upon graduation, I will be joining Credit Suisse NYC as an Investment Banking Analyst within their Securitized Products division. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from all my mentors and friends and look forward to discovering what the future holds.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Moving from Brazil to the US when I was seventeen for boarding school was not an easy adjustment. I was surprised with the academic rigor of the US educational system and spent many sleepless nights ensuring my GPA was competitive for top tier universities. Moving to a different continent also meant leaving friends, family, and passions behind. In fact, I was an international athlete for equestrian showjumping. I have been riding horses since I was three years old and since won several national and international championships, so leaving my beloved “Lietus” behind was a tough decision. Due to the recession that hit Brazil, I also suffered financially when moving to the US. The US Dollar became very expensive in comparison to the Brazilian Real. This only further motivated me to work hard to be able to be financially independent. At eighteen, I was immersed in a Personal Finance mindset and worked five jobs. I have worked multiple positions throughout college and am thankful for today no longer having to rely financially on my Brazilian family for support since the US Dollar remains very expensive.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I enjoy working in multiple different positions at a time. At the University of Southern California, I have worked as a: Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Hospitality Concierge, Academic Tutor, Entrepreneurial Mentor, Librarian, Investment Analyst, and Admissions Committee Officer. I believe that what set me apart from other applicants to these positions was my passion and drive. Coming from Brazil and knowing what high unemployment is like, I have always been very appreciative and determined at work. I am also passionate about finance and will be joining the Investment Banking division at Credit Suisse upon graduation. I have worked in both buy-side and sell-side finance and hope to explore the private equity realm soon. I also believe FinTech is an attractive field and am eager to see how we can use blockchain technology to assist in payment processing solutions, especially in places like Latin America and Africa.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Growth makes me happy. With social media & societal and capitalist pressure constantly pushing us to be better, prettier, and richer, I have suffered by constantly comparing myself to others who seem more successful than me. Nonetheless, as I grew older I started to realize that everyone has their own battles and definition of success. Nobody is perfect. With that in mind, I have started looking inwards (instead of outwards) to establish my goals and priorities. I believe this has made me a happier person because I no longer rely on my sense of success on what others think of me but on how I seek to improve and grow each day. I also find that making others happy brings me immense joy. I like to give back to my communities and be a true friend. In Brazil, I worked with my contacts at the equestrian center and we built a program where we took ponies to a local hospital for children with cancer to play with twice a week. This made me happy and I am thankful that this program runs up to this date.

Contact Info:

• Email: carolina.nehrer@gmail.com
• Website: www.carolinasouza.ml