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Leavey School of Business Santa Clara University

Profiles

Maya Safadi
Maya Safadi
Economics Major
Fresno, California

Areas of Interest at SCU and LSB: I'm majoring in Economics at LSB, and I'm very excited to be developing my senior thesis as part of the honors program in the area of economics. I developed a passion for economics early on through my classes, and I love the wide array of opportunities out there in the business world for those with a background in econ.

What are your SCU and LSB activities/general hobbies: At SCU, one of my favorite involvements has been being a member of the University Honors Program. The UHP has a mentorship program now, and I have really enjoyed becoming a mentor and getting to know some of the freshmen and sharing my experience. The program hosts lots of events and socials, so it has been a great way to get involved. I have loved being a Leavey Ambassador, so I pursued my current role as a Program Assistant. Being involved on a bigger scale with this program has been very rewarding but also lots of fun. Outside of school, my hobbies include travel, skiing, off-roading, cooking, and baking. I love to explore new places, so being from the Central Valley of CA, it has been super exciting to move to Santa Clara. I love to go on drives and explore new parts of the Bay Area, check out the area’s natural beauties, and of course find amazing restaurants.

What internship/employment opportunities have you taken advantage of at LSB?  I have been thrilled to be working in the Undergraduate Business Programs Office as a Program Assistant. Getting to know the administration and work closely with other students across various programs in the office has been really great. LSB has also supported my internship pursuits off campus; resources like the Career Center helped me secure my internship for the summer of 2022. I was a data analysis intern at Helm Agro, an ag company specializing in crop science and nutrition.

Favorite LSB Class and Why? My favorite class so far has been BUSN 179, which is a business writing and communication class. Prof. Duhe was one of the most fun and engaging instructors I've had during my time here. His experience and stories are great, and he teaches so much interesting content surrounding how to make good impressions, the psychology of verbal and nonverbal communication, and networking and outreach. We also had a really interesting project in that class, where we helped out local businesses through a consulting project to help them improve on any aspect of their business that they needed.

What made you choose to attend LSB? The opportunities and the business curriculum, hands down. You really cannot beat the location if you’re interested in any kind of business career. There is a wealth of opportunities here, and so many really cool people to learn from along the way. I loved the curriculum; when I was comparing the classes I would be taking at my different college options, I truly felt like none of the others would give me such a well-rounded business education.

What advice you wish you had while applying to college?  Focus on the daily life aspects of the colleges you’re looking at. Don’t worry about stats or rankings. Think about what makes you happiest, what kind of classes and topics you want to learn about, and what your lifestyle and hobbies are. Think about your strengths and weaknesses. Dive deep into the different degree programs and see what’s really involved. Check out the individual classes you will be taking. Check out what activities people do both on and off campus. Think about what kinds of things you need to do to achieve your career goals. My advice would be to focus on colleges that cater to your priorities with each of those things, rather than focusing on how much prestige or what rankings the college has.