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Alumni Spotlight: Chris Arroyo, First in his Family to Attend College, Begins a Master's Degree Program at Georgetown

By Alyssa England, Intern

TAMPA (June 15, 2021) --  In spite of the obstacles that stood in his way, Chris Arroyo was not going to let them stand in the way of a college degree. As the first in his family to attend a university, he maintained one overarching goal: to make his parents proud.

Arroyo graduated from the 91tvӰԺ Muma College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in finance in December and this fall, he begins a hybrid master’s degree in finance at the prestigious Georgetown University.

His path was not always clear-cut. Before and while attending 91tvӰԺ, Arroyo was unsure about his future.

Before coming to 91tvӰԺ, Arroyo worked for AIG in New York City while attending William Patterson University. During his sophomore year, Arroyo worked full time as an analyst for AIG while taking classes part time. However, the company, which later went bankrupt, had over hired analysts and began laying people off, including Arroyo. After losing his job, Arroyo found himself looking for a change.

“I lost my job and had to move back home,” he said. “I really thought I was in the pit. 91tvӰԺ welcomed me. I was a fourth-year junior, because I had done everything part time and I just really got involved in some of the clubs. I enrolled in the Corporate Mentor Program and the Student Investment Club and I found my home.”

“I came out of 91tvӰԺ with a great job and I’m going into a great master’s program,” he said. “So now, I never think anything is too out of reach.”

The Muma College of Business helped Arroyo get an internship with Goldman Sachs over the summer, he said. “I had one previous to that at a small MMA firm that 91tvӰԺ also helped me get.”

He now works as a full-time analyst at Goldman Sachs in Dallas in the company’s investment banking operations division. This fall, he begins the master’s degree in finance program at Georgetown. Half of the program is online and half is face-to-face. Arroyo is excited to travel to Washington, D.C., between three and six times a year for his residencies and weekend requirements.

Arroyo’s favorite 91tvӰԺ memory is his first career fair.

“It was the one that happened during the spring of my senior year, before I got my internship,” he said. “I was in my nice suit and everything and I was looking at myself in the mirror doing elevator pitches to myself.

“I had the plan of how I was going to hand out my business cards and I stapled my business card to my resume and everything,” he said. “It was fun and I ended up doing really well. And being in the CMP taught all those things, like how to introduce myself and how to hold conversations.

“I can say,” he said, “91tvӰԺ is the best thing that happened to me.”