Shaelyn Otikor
Shaelyn Otikor completed the Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI) program over twenty years ago and believes it was a vital part of her success as an adult. Growing up in a blue-collar household on Chicago’s South Side, Shaelyn did not imagine herself pursuing a career in business until taking part in CSBI. CSBI taught her that she was not limited to certain career paths and that people like her could pursue a career in finance. After CSBI, Shaelyn attended DePaul University and got her MBA from the Booth School at the University of Chicago. Shaelyn is a vice president and relationship manager at Northern Trust Corporation. She believes CSBI opened her eyes to new possibilities for herself as a person. She also believes the program helps high performing students focus while showing them their own potential.
Yesenia Salgado
Yesenia Salgado participated in the Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI) program twice. In her first year, she completed an internship with Siebert Brandford Shank and Co. and came back for a second year to intern with CSBI itself. The most memorable task she completed was reading a book about bonds for Siebert Brandford Shank and Co. which inspired her to pursue a career in finance. Yesenia is thankful to the program for showing her how to complete a resume, interview, and more of the skills that are essential to pursuing a career in the business world. CSBI showed Yesenia that she could be a part of the finance world in downtown Chicago.
Kiana Richards
Kiana Richards lives in Chicago and is pursuing a career in real estate. Kiana is an alumnus of the Chicago Summer Business Institute program (CSBI) and points to CSBI as a reason for her success as an adult. While part of the program, Kiana interned with the City of Chicago which gave her the opportunity to attend a City Hall meeting where she was able to observe how buildings in the city get their building permits. This inspired her to go to grad school in commercial real estate. She believes the program showed her how to be more self-sufficient, a skill that has continued to serve her in the years since completing the program. The program helped her remain focused and taught her valuable time-management skills.
Samuel Owusu
Samuel Owusu attends Davidson College in North Carolina. He is heavily involved with the African Students Association, volunteering, and student government. Through the Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI), Samuel interned at the City of Chicago Department of Finance in the accounts receivable department where he completed a vast array of tasks. Unlike many of the students in the CSBI program Samuel is not pursuing a career in finance. He is a Political Science major who hopes to run for office someday. His internship at the Chicago Department of Finance allowed him to meet many local Chicago politicians, including Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. Samuel wants to pursue politics to advance causes he believes in, like improving education. Samuel believes that the internship taught him the importance of being on time, being focused, and being organized, skills that carry over to school, and his chosen field. He credits the CSBI internship with teaching him how to speak up for himself and to advocate for the issues he believes in. In the little downtime Samuel has, he likes to play video games and workout.
Maryfer Palacios
Maryfer Palacios grew up in Chicago in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. She attends Holy Trinity High School where she participates in many extracurricular activities including basketball, art club, robotics, and many more student organizations. Maryfer interned with Cabrera Capital Markets through Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI). She completed a range of tasks including filing, working with spreadsheets, and helping out in the office wherever possible. Although the work was difficult, she felt like she learned how to be professional. The experience was valuable in that it helped Maryfer realize that she does not want to do a traditional desk job. She would instead like to be out in the world where she can do the most good, possibly a medical career. Maryfer believes that her internship helped her in her classes because it helped her learn how better to interact and communicate with other people, in particular she feels her public speaking skills have grown dramatically. The internship taught her that people like her can have a place in the professional world of downtown Chicago.
Mubin Hira
Mubin Hira lives in Albany Park in Chicago with his parents and two older siblings. Mubin attends the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he is undeclared but is leaning towards a finance-related major. He is involved in Phi Beta Lambda, an organization dedicated to cultivating business leaders. Through the Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI) he served as an accounting intern with the City of Chicago Department of Finance where his greatest accomplishment was completing an actual accounting journal entry. While working with CSBI, Mubin learned that he could get his career started, even though he’s still a student. He believes that once you open your first door in your career, it leads to other doors opening. Growing up Mubin never saw himself working in finance downtown, but through CSBI he has realized that people in finance are real people just like him, and that the work of finance is rewarding and important. He considers his relationship with CSBI to be ongoing, even once his internship ends. In his spare time, Mubin likes to play basketball and listen to hip hop.