Beyond the classroom: the impact of summit and leadership programs on Business Gators

At the Warrington College of Business, students are encouraged to seek out opportunities that align with their career goals, including summits and leadership programs hosted by top companies and firms.

Sonakshi Srivastava, Sophia Alvarez and Harman Bindra are just three Business Gators who have taken the initiative to participate in these experiences, building valuable networks and gaining early career insights. Read how these students are launching their careers with confidence.

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Sonakshi Srivastava, BSBA Information Systems ’26

Sonakshi Srivastava (BSBA Information Systems ’26) attended the KPMG advisory summit in summer 2024 and will be joining the company full time after graduation.

In the last three years, she’s attended six summits and leadership programs with Citi Bank, Truist, P&G, KPMG, Abercrombie & Fitch and the Boston Consulting Group.

She learned about summit and leadership program opportunities through mentors, student organizations, career fairs and platforms like HIREWarrington, an online career database for employers and students.

“Heavener organizations like Delta Sigma Pi and Rem on Campus pushed me to seek out programs like the KPMG Advisory summit,” she explained.

After attending KPMG’s summit, Srivastava fell in love with the Big Four accounting firm.

“I had the opportunity to connect with employees, students and partners from across the country to learn more about consulting at KPMG,” she said. “It was a place I could see myself growing professionally and personally.”

Srivastava served as a tech strategy consulting intern for KPMG this summer and was given a return offer to join their New York office upon graduation.

By participating in summit and leadership programs, Srivastava has gained confidence, networked and learned how to present herself professionally.

“When I participate in a summit or leadership program, I always make it a point to be fully engaged through asking questions, networking with professionals and learning from other experiences,” she said. “Really just being a sponge.”

She encourages her peers to discover their strengths, explore different careers and experience mentorship by seeking out opportunities on campus.

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Sophia Alvarez, BA Political Science ’26, BA Economics ’26, MSM ’26 

Sophia Alvarez (BA Political Science ’26, BA Economics ’26, MSM ’26) gained exposure to the business world through business-focused organizations and her participation in both summit and leadership programs.

While pursuing her undergraduate degrees, Alvarez attended eight summit and leadership programs with Liberty Mutual, Capital One, Goldman Sachs, American Express, PepsiCo., P&G, L’Oréal and Kohls.

She’s participated in various summit and leadership opportunities to get a head start on her professional journey. Alvarez said these opportunities allowed her to “gain real-world experience and figure out what company, industry and role was the best fit for [her] interests and goals.”

Alvarez discovered various opportunities through her peers, LinkedIn and through her own research by using keywords like “summit” and “leadership programs” in her searches.

“When participating in a summit or leadership program [whether in person or virtually], you typically sit in on various sessions to learn more about the company. Usually about their different areas of business, roles, opportunities for college students and more,” Alvarez explained. “Senior leaders also tend to come speak during these programs.”

“From having the opportunity to hear from company VP’s and CEO’s, have one-on-one conversations with recruitment teams and hiring leaders, and more, I had the opportunity to pick the brains of individuals I definitely would not have been able to speak with, at least not as easily, had I not been selected for their program.”

From her experience, participants can even gain hands-on experience through programs that offer mini-projects or case studies.

“Some of these programs guarantee internship interviews, which are the last stage of the program,” Alvarez said.

After graduating, Alvarez will work full time with American Express in New York City.

“As a result of being selected for American Express’ Discovery Program and converting into an intern following the program, I was able to already have a network of peers and colleagues from day one.”

She encourages her peers to keep an open mind and take advantage of all the resources available to them.

“These programs allow you to break into various companies and industries,” she said. “You never know what may come about from a certain class, conversation or program.” 

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Harman Bindra, BSBA Finance ’28

Harman Bindra (BSBA Finance ’28) spent his freshman year in the Goldman Sachs Possibilities Summit program.

He first learned about the opportunity through Finance Professional Development Associate Director Stephanie Fajre in the programs’ fundamentals course.

“As a freshman, I was also encouraged to sign up for the talent networks for every single firm I was interested in applying to,” he said. “When the [Goldman Sachs Possibilities Summit] applications opened up, I was one of the first ones to apply.”

Through the five-month online portion of the program, Bindra had the opportunity to learn about Goldman Sachs’ culture, the recruiting process and share his own thoughts on the firm’s various sectors.

In the middle of the program, participants were invited to visit a nearby office.  

“Being from South Florida, Miami was the closest office for me,” he said. “We were given an office tour, met the vice presidents and then had lunch with analysts. It was an amazing time, and I gained some very meaningful connections [from] it.”

Bindra plans to pursue a career in investment banking after receiving his degree in finance.

“When I go into recruiting soon, I can leverage these experiences with Goldman Sachs,” Bindra said. “I’ve already been involved with the firm [so this helps me stand out].”

He encourages his peers to get involved with organizations for professional development, maintain an up-to-date HIREWarrington account, start working toward their professional goals early on and network.

“Your biggest asset are the upperclassmen at UF,” he said. “Everyone is willing to help out!”