Profiles - Leavey School of Business

Kaitlyn Staats
Finance and Music Majors
Orange County

Areas of Interest at SCU and LSB: I am currently studying finance with a focus in real estate, music, and international business with a focus in Italian. I am a part of both the Leavey School of Business and the School of Arts and Sciences.

What are your SCU and LSB activities/general hobbies: I am involved in the ACE Leadership Program, Real Estate Association, Santa Clara Consulting, and I am an active member of the music community. I am also a program assistant for the Leavey Ambassadors and an intern for the Silicon Valley Executive Center. The parts of music that most interest me include jazz combo and vocal music. When I am not in class, you can find me laying in the sun at the beach or in the mission gardens, petting every dog that walks by. I love to hike, bake, and of course, sing.

What internship/employment opportunities have you taken advantage of at LSB? I currently work as an intern at the Silicon Valley Executive Center and as a program assistant for the Leavey Ambassadors. Groups such as Santa Clara Consulting and the Real Estate Association have also provided amazing networking opportunities. I have had many chances to work in the real world, such as consulting for real companies and obtaining my commercial real estate ARGUS certification through the program. Resources such as Handshake and VMock have also allowed me to reach out to employers and recruiters to ensure the best chances of success.

Favorite LSB Class and Why? My favorite LSB Class thus far has been OMIS 34 - Science, Information Technology, Business and Society. I took this class with Professor Sumana Sur. This class gives an inside look into the ever-changing tech world and how it affects the business world. During this class, we got to build our own websites, discuss components of data and information systems, and learn how new developments--such as AI--have affected how we operate in business and society.

What made you choose to attend LSB? There are two main reasons why I chose to attend Santa Clara University and the LSB: the location and the people. Silicon Valley is known for harboring successful startups and being a place full of innovative ideas. The people in the Santa Clara community reflect this well, as they are genuinely the most welcoming people I have ever met in my entire life, but they are still ambitious and focused on their career goals. Our unofficial student community motto is “work hard, play hard,” and I feel like this motto encompasses the majority of how SCU students spend their time. Work hard and push each other to be the best you can be, but don’t forget to make time for fun.

What advice you wish you had while applying to college? College applications were a crazy time, but my best advice comes once you finish your applications. Research the schools you are applying to in terms of academics, but also check for a holistic fit. For example, reach out to current students, alumni, and other prospective students and get a feel for the attitude of the community, and base your decision heavily on this. These will be your future classmates, friends, colleagues, and business partners. You will change your mind a lot, and you may fall in and out of love with schools multiple times before deciding what is right for you. Be flexible and remember that you are going to end up where you need to be.