Donor Spotlight
Thomas Schroeder ’11
Product & Strategy Lead – Financials, Aon Hewitt
What do you love most about FIU and your involvement here?
I love being able to serve on the Young Alumni Council, helping recent graduates find their place in the professional world and helping prepare future graduates with some of the real world challenges that we all face like student loan debt or how to save for retirement.
Why do you think giving back is important to the advancement of FIU and its students?
It helps with providing services that help students succeed whether it is to provide on campus services to help build the student culture or to help keep majors that might otherwise be eliminated due to lack of funding. As our Alma Mater grows, so grows the value of your degree.
Where has life taken you since graduating from FIU?
I have had the opportunity to work for a Fortune 100 company that specializes in services for employees in large organizations. I have had the opportunity to work as an analyst, a sales executive, a sales leader, and now most recently running strategy for our entire practice. The values and lessons I learned at FIU are instrumental in my daily success.
How did FIU prepare you to get where you are professionally?
FIU gave me the opportunity to engage with other intelligent students and gave me the opportunity to learn from professors that taught me real life lessons. I was constantly coached to go to career fairs, take classes that help me work on my resume or elevator speech, along with things like learning a second language to differentiate myself. The teachers I had put the same effort that I did into my development and because of that, I am where I am today.
What advice would you give to students and young alumni?
I would always tell students to go the extra mile in making yourself better. Go to class/lectures/conferences that you can learn from others and make valuable connections with other graduates so you can take advantage of those relationships.
Don’t focus on the right now, resist the urge to fall into the millennial stereotype of instant gratification, focus on your 5-10 year goals and attain them.
Visit FIUalumni.com/youngalumni to learn more about our Young Alumni Council.
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