Bottom Line

College of the Holy Cross, Class of 2018

Victoria came to Bottom Line in high school after hearing her peers talking about the program. She had come to the United States from El Salvador when she was eight, and her family wasn’t familiar with the college process in the US.

“The Access program was really helpful in making an informed decision about which college to go to. My advisor helped me explore what kind of job and school is the right fit for me.”

After going to College of the Holy Cross, Victoria stayed on as a Success student. “The first year is so overwhelming. It was so helpful to have an advisor to rely on when things got difficult. College life didn’t necessarily come easily to me. As a first-generation college student, there are many obstacles that I encountered. My counselor helped me to stay positive and overcome every single challenge. ”

Having an advisor come to campus made a big difference to Victoria. It helped make her feel included and let me know what someone was there to support her. “It’s a really lonely process when no one has done it before you. Academics were initially challenging my first semester but my counselor helped me figure out a plan for success. Bottom Line provided me with the encouragement and support I needed to graduate with honors. I will always be grateful for the support, guidance, and encouragement I received since I first joined the program.”

Since graduating college, Victoria has joined State Street as part of a professional development program. She’s been there for 1.5 years doing 6 months rotations within Global Markets, holding three positions so far. Bottom Line helped connect Victoria with the rotational program, and helped her apply.

This program has been great for Victoria, giving her a chance to explore the different kinds of roles at State Street, and teaching her about professionalism. As she’s coming up to the end of the program, she has recently accepted a full-time role with Global Credit Finance.“I don’t know what my ultimate career goal is, but I know I want to continue working with global markets.”

Victoria believes that being a part of this program right out of college has helped jumpstart her career. “How many people can say they’ve had three very different roles in their first 1.5 years without raising the alarm to potential employers?”

While she may not know what her ultimate goal is yet, she knows that her degree is essential to getting her there. “I get to choose what I like and what I don’t like in a job. Without higher education, you usually don’t get to have that kind of flexibility. I look at the work my family does vs. what I do. and it is so different. I have options.”