Office of Student Success | Colin Powell School
Office of Student Success | Colin Powell School
In collaboration with Santander Bank, N.A., the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York introduces the prestigious Santander Finance Fellowship, a highly-selective year-long program designed for students eager to gain hands-on experience in the finance industry.
This program provides selected students the opportunity to learn advanced financial analysis and strategic problem-solving skills, be mentored by experienced finance professionals, and connect with potential employers before graduating.
Click here to read our press release about Santander’s Finance Boot Camp and Fellowship Program Initiative.
For any questions, please contact Ashif Hassan, Corporate Partnerships Manager, at ahassan1@ccny.cuny.edu
Mentorship: One-on-one guidance directly from Santander’s Corporate Investment Banking (CIB) Divison experts to help fellow achieve their professional goals.
Professional Development: A series of workshops designed to enhance crucial skills and build a career in finance, such as networking, mock interview preparation, resume revision & more.
Advanced Curriculum: Fellows will dive into a rigorous curriculum consisting of four essential courses. Explore topics such as Financial Analysis and Decision Making Part II, Business Communications and Corporate Finance.
Additionally, engage with industry professionals through the Santander Speaker Series, where students gain firsthand knowledge and insights into the finance industry. This series aims to help fellows determine if finance is the right path for them and offers valuable advice on how to thrive in the field.
Fellows will receive a $5,000 stipend for the academic year, in addition to mentorship and professional development training.
There are two tracks for students to enroll in the program:
Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students during the 2025-2026 school year. Disclaimer: Preference will be given to those who have at least two more years remaining until graduation (i.e., graduating December 2026 or later).
Students currently pursuing the BOOTCAMP PATHWAY (students taking 21650):
Students pursuing the APPLICATION PATHWAY (UPDATED):
Financial Analysis and Decision Making is a three-credit gateway course developed by former Wall Street executives that provides students with the analytical, problem-solving, and advanced Excel skills which are needed to secure entry-level roles in large financial firms. This course includes financial and data analysis, modeling, forecasting, valuation and risk. Register today on CUNYFirst.
Students who successfully complete Part I and perform well will be invited to the 2025-26 Santander Fellowship automatically.
Niv Yosef is a driven student and financial analyst with a strong desire to work in the business and financial sector. He has a clear vision of becoming a leader in the industry and aims to help people from all backgrounds achieve financial independence. Niv is currently a full-time FP&A analyst for the Israeli Government in New York and a student at CCNY, where he is refining his financial analysis skills and adapting to the American private industry. Niv understands that building financial models, assessing risk, and measuring the probability of scenarios are critical skills for a financial analyst. He is dedicated to pursuing these skills to achieve his career goals and make a positive impact in the industry.
Oriola Kurtaj is a senior majoring in Business Management and Administration. She was born in Kosovo and was raised in New York. Oriola’s passion for management, numbers, and fast-paced working environments has influenced her interest in finance. She currently works as an Administrator and Supervisor at Ocean Prime NYC where she handles money management tasks on a day-to-day basis. Oriola is an adventurous and enthusiastic person who enjoys traveling and sightseeing when she is out of school and work. Oriola excels at creating interpersonal relationships with others and hopes to build new relationships at the Santander Finance Fellowship. Oriola’s aspirations are to grow and improve as a person. With the help of the Santander Finance Fellowship, she hopes to expand her interest in finance by acquiring new knowledge and skills.
Federico Ciandri is a student-athlete in his third year of pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at City College of New York. As a trilingual international student from Italy, he is able to conduct business in fluent English, Italian and Spanish. His communications skills are complemented by a knowledge of financial accounting, a strong work ethic and advanced problem-solving capabilities. He is curious and he is drawn to challenges, and comfortable working in unfamiliar circumstances.
Ashanti Johnson is an African American woman attending the City College of New York and pursuing a BA/MA degree of Economics. She grew up in a low-income community where she witnessed the results of a lack of opportunity and financial literacy. Her parents did not pursue higher education and her mother continues to struggle financially. Ashanti decided to professionally develop her financial literacy by choosing a career in finance to positively impact the community that shaped her. Her professional goal is to be of service to others while growing herself as an individual as she takes the opportunity to be successful with the opportunity her community gave her. As a student she has performed well, maintaining a 3.778 GPA so far in her college career. Ashanti has taken the courses Introduction to Economics, Python for Business Analytics, Intermediate Microeconomics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, and many more towards her pursuit in a career in finance.
Wendy is a senior majoring in economics. She works meticulously on her work and is determined to improve where skills may be lacking.
MD Miah is a first-generation college student from Bangladesh who is majoring in economics at the City College of New York. As an immigrant, he has firsthand experience with the struggles that can arise from a lack of financial literacy. Therefore, he aims to pursue a career as a business analyst, utilizing his analytical skills and passion for financial literacy to improve resources and provide actionable insights and recommendations to both individuals and companies. He aspires to work for financial institutions that utilize data to identify and address disparities, thereby promoting stability and inclusivity while advancing objectives. With the support of the Santander Fellowship, he hopes to use his diverse background and passion for financial literacy to drive positive change in the industry and empower individuals to achieve financial stability and success.
Steven Fernandez is currently a senior pursuing his degree in Economics with a concentration in finance analytics at the Colin Powell School of The City College of New York. He is a SEEK student and is passionate about sustainability and community development, looking to make an impact through financial analytics. As a first-generation student, he emigrated from the Dominican Republic to be raised in Little Dominican Republic (Washington Heights), Uptown Manhattan. Upon arrival, he and his family were confronted with many issues such as trying to find housing, the high cost of living, living in a food swamp community and being marginalized by society’s norms. These issues forged him and carried him to eventually pursue a career in finance, inspiring him to help individuals and entities make good and ethical decisions that promote equity, equality, and growth. His main areas of interest include financial planning, analytics and corporate analysis. Aside from his professional attributes he likes to bike along the greenways of New York City and staying healthy by going to the gym.
Jordan Cheung is a senior majoring in Economics and is expecting to graduate in the Spring of 2024. He was born and raised in the Bronx and a son of Chinese immigrants. Coming from a business high school in the heart of wall street, he is already familiarized with many of the business knowledge and being surrounded by the lifestyle of many wall street businessmen and women further sparked Jordan’s interest in business and finance. He came to City College with no knowledge of what career he’d want to pursue, but as he got more involved in the opportunities the Colin Powell School has to offer and being invited to the Santander Fellowship, he hopes to gain long lasting connections and gain a clearer path on what career he’d like to pursue in the financial services. Apart from academics, Jordan has a passion for graphic design, going on adventurous walks, and food adventures.
Omar Martinez-Alencaster was born to two Mexican Immigrant parents, and just turned 21 this past February. He will be a rising senior in this upcoming Fall semester. His major is Economics with a concentration in Finance and has been interested in this subject since he partook in an introductory finance class his senior year of high school. He would like to use his senior year to continue to push himself out of his comfort zone, create opportunities and overall grow as an individual in order to better himself after he graduates.
Starlyn Sosa is a senior pursuing a major in Economics. Hailing from The Bronx, he is a proud first- generation college student with a Dominican background. Starlyn’s diverse interests reflect his curiosity, creativity, and eagerness to explore new career paths. He sees the Santander Finance fellowship as a unique opportunity to expand his horizons and gain exposure to finance careers that align with his skills and interests. Despite facing numerous obstacles, Starlyn has remained committed to his dreams and has become a role model in his family. He believes perseverance and a positive attitude are the keys to success and strives to live by these values daily. In his free time, he enjoys reading books of all genres, cooking, and exercising.
Ayah Ali is a senior at the City College of New York, majoring in Economics and minoring in Psychology. As a first-generation college student, Ayah has shown incredible determination and dedication to achieving her academic and career goals. Her passion for finance and economics led her to seek opportunities to gain practical experience in the industry, and she was thrilled to secure an internship with Danone in a Finance and Accounting position for the summer of 2023. Through the Santander Fellowship, Ayah looks forward to continuing her journey toward a successful career in finance.
Mishal Nawaz is currently a rising senior in college and is expected to graduate college by 2025 because of the BA/MA program in economics. She likes to read in her free time and socialize whenever she can. She is highly motivated and believes that actions speak louder than words which is why she is excited about this opportunity through this fellowship as it will allow her to expand her professional horizon. She also has a strong work ethic and believe that she will be an exceptional option for this mentoring.
Dea is a rising junior majoring in Economics. She currently speaks three languages and, on her way acquiring her fourth, Mandarin. Currently she holds a GPA of 3.8, and her achievements include her participation as a treasurer of Girls Who Code College Loops Club at CCNY. Her passion in finance arose from working with privately owned healthcare businesses. After working closely with businesses in management and operations, she realized that for a business to be successful it must have the right support, especially financially. Dea hopes that this fellowship would help her obtain both tangible and intangible skills related to investment services, so in the future she can provide small businesses with the right financial expertise, and pair them with the right investors to make them more profitable.
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