How Whitman’s Staff & Alumni Support Shaped My Career Interests

I thought I had my college journey all figured out—until an unexpected internship changed everything. When I arrived on campus, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to study Sociology and carve a path in higher education. However, during my sophomore year, a pivotal opportunity shifted my career goals and interests while staying true to my passion for Sociology.

During my first year at Whitman, I participated in every opportunity I could to add to my resume. Whitman’s Career and Community Engagement Center (CCEC) staff go above and beyond, offering personalized career advice and guidance to help us land incredible internships, fellowships, community service and job shadowing opportunities. They encourage students to stay proactive with their LinkedIn profiles because we never know who might reach out with a career-building opportunity. So I took their advice.

In updating my LinkedIn, I was matched with a finance-related internship at a global law firm in Chicago. I was hesitant at first because the position required some finance knowledge, which I didn’t have at the time. Actually, I had never taken an economics or finance class before then. Still, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, so I followed my instincts. When I was invited to interview for the role, I reached out to one of the co-directors of the CCEC. He helped me prepare, and I ended up nailing the interview!

The internship opened my eyes to the intricacies of the financial sector. I realized that I enjoyed what I was learning and recognized the need to understand the industry better. Fortunately, Whitman’s alumni network is incredibly helpful and they engage with current students all the time through platforms like LinkedIn and Whitties Helping Whitties events. They were more than happy to share their knowledge with me and connect with other financial professionals they knew. Those conversations provided invaluable insights into how their Whitman education prepared them for financial success.

I re-evaluated my desired career path and brainstormed what a career in financial services would look like for me. I realized that financial services intrigued me as a potential career, though I still had a passion for Sociology. So, I focused on building and refining my skills and experiences in finance.

When I returned to campus, I decided to branch out of my Sociology major and take a few Economics and Computer Science classes. Those courses were challenging, but my friends and professors helped me get through them. Everyone is so supportive at Whitman! And thanks to my Human-Centered Design concentration, I learned how finance, technology, and sociology are all connected. The interaction among these three fields allowed me to understand how societal changes impact economic behaviors and how technological advancements can shift social dynamics and financial practices.

Beyond taking classes, I continued to immerse myself in financial services, participating in related events both on and off campus and expanding my network and knowledge. By the next summer, my efforts paid off as I secured another financial services internship, this time at a global financial services firm in Los Angeles.

The knowledge I gained from the finance classes and conversations, as well as frequent virtual conversations about a career in finance and markets with alums like Jack Percival ’16, provided a solid foundation in finance. Those conversations with alums taught me that what you study doesn’t matter. It’s the skills and drive you possess that count. This motivated me to actively seek out finance-related internships this time around. Looking forward, I will be returning to LA as a full-time associate at Capital Group after graduation, where I will continue to learn more about financial services and hopefully make a big impact.

My experience and the support I’ve gotten at Whitman have led me to opportunities I didn’t even think of beforehand. So if you’re ready to explore new opportunities, find a community of like-minded individuals, and set yourself up for success in the real world, Whitman could be the place for you. You never know where your journey will take you.

Mwamba Muntanga ’25 (he/him) is a Sociology major from Lusaka, Zambia, and he has been to 25 out of 50 U.S. states. While at Whitman, Mwamba has shared his experiences and knowledge to help fellow African students navigate the process of applying to colleges and universities in the United States. Read about Mwamba’s road to Whitman.