Kevin Rossi (MSAQF 2021) U.S. Air Force
Veteran student shares on his graduate experience at Daniels
Kevin Rossi is a graduate of the master of science in applied quantitative finance program at the Daniels College of Business. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000 to 2009. Rossi shares why he chose to return to seek a graduate degree in finance and what lessons he has learned along the way.
The G.I. Bill is Your Greatest Asset
Whether you served four years or twenty years or anywhere in between, the G.I. Bill is a veteran’s greatest asset after leaving military service. I served nine years in the U.S. Air Force followed by four as a Department of Defense contractor and another three as a Department of Energy employee. While serving, I used tuition assistance to complete a B.S. in Computer Science with Park University. Next, the G.I. Bill funded an M.S. in Computer Science from the Johns Hopkins University. These degrees furthered my career, but I wanted to transition to the finance sector. However, I did not any contacts in the finance industry and job searches did not yield offers that excited me.
Rossi and his wife Chanel, also a U.S. Air Force veteran
In early 2020, I decided to enroll in the M.S. in Applied Quantitative Finance (MSAQF) program at the Daniels College of Business to enhance my resume and meet professionals in finance. During my studies with Daniels, I built close relationships with people that I believe will help me transition. I estimate that I have been introduced to over one hundred people in the finance industry. Many of these interactions were one-on-one conversations or guest lectures where only ten to twenty students attended.
The Daniels College of Business, Veterans Services at DU, and the larger University of Denver all contributed to growing my network and putting me in a position to actually start a career in finance.
Study & Network, Network, Network
The greatest opportunity for students at Daniels is networking with industry professionals, faculty and other students. Participating in mentorship programs, attending alumni panels and seeking out student organizations contributed to my experience and enjoyment of the program.
These are just three of the opportunities that I took advantage of:
- While in the Finance Club’s mentor program, I had a mentor at a private equity firm in New York. On three different 40-minute Zoom calls, he introduced me to three employees at that firm that previously worked at hedge funds and large banks.
- For one of my accounting courses, I opted to take the course with the Denver MBA cohort. These students have different mindsets and skillsets than those of us in the MSAQF program.
- Midway through my studies, I reached out to Joshua Ross, director of the Entrepreneurship@DU program. He then introduced me to a few undergraduate computer science students. Now, I am beginning to work closely with one of those students and we may partner to form an LLC.
Daniels is built to promote interactions with alumni and between students, even in different programs. If you spend time networking, you will graduate with many new relationships and a network that will reach out when they notice DU or Daniels mentioned in your bio.
A Dynamic Program of Study
Another aspect that I loved about Daniels is the numerous electives allowed in this degree plan. Taking courses in other programs or schools is encouraged. This is a great way to differentiate yourself from other job candidates and meet students outside of Daniels. I appreciate this cross-discipline mentality.
Two electives that I enrolled in within Daniels involved a series of speakers from the finance industry. In my mind, the small class size for these electives greatly enhanced the value these courses provided. For each speaker’s 1.5 hour session, they would give an overview of their business organization. Then, students could ask questions for 45 minutes, or more. Over these two courses, I attended over 20 sessions with industry leaders (CEOs, CIOs, VPs) and each had time to answer two questions from each of the 10 or more students. I have never seen courses with this level of intimacy offered by other programs.
I came to Daniels with a specific desire to build software for trading stocks with artificial intelligence. This particular area of finance is not covered by the courses offered at Daniels. When I addressed this with my program’s director, Conrad Ciccotello, another U.S. Air Force veteran, he recommended that I replace some of my electives with Independent Study. Twelve of my 48 credits ended up being Independent Study focused on building my software with Daniels faculty as mentors. Ciccotello even served as my mentor for four credits and arranged one-on-one sessions with some of his industry contacts.
A Pair of Transitions
Chanel Rossi, my wife of 18 years, and I are both 39 years old. Chanel is also a U.S. Air Force veteran of six years (2000-2006). We met in Monterey, California at the Defense Language Institute. Later in life, we both decided to attend the MSAQF program at Daniels. However, our courses and experiences varied greatly as she tailored her program for another purpose. Chanel trades stocks independently and intends to continue to trade after graduating. Chanel’s studies at Daniels improved her understanding of markets, economics and accounting. This understanding gives her more context for interpreting financial statements, policy decisions and news. Also, her self-confidence greatly increased as a result of the nurturing community at Daniels.
As for me, I am speaking with a Denver-based hedge fund that I became involved with through Daniels. If I join the fund, the software I developed during this program would be used to invest millions of dollars. This position would build on my expertise in computer science while leveraging the finance knowledge that I gained at Daniels.
Daniels Supports Vets
As a veteran, I felt welcome at Daniels and supported by DU. When I needed clarification on G.I. Bill benefits, I filled out a web form with my questions and Veterans Services responded within a day. The VA certification process at DU is streamlined and it is handled by the DU certifying official after you enroll in classes. No action is required of students for certification unless you have questions and they send out an email confirming that your certification has been submitted each quarter or semester.
As an added benefit, Daniels students enjoy unlimited tuition assistance after exhausting the Yellow Ribbon program. This enabled me to continue studying full-time for a full year and a half without breaking up my studies due to tuition caps.
While in class, veteran students can generally identify each other due to particular habits or vocabulary. I would sometimes use a military acronym during class just to see whose ears perked up. Even in our small classes there was almost always a veteran student — or, sometimes, the professor turned out to be veteran or someone that understood military culture.
As veterans, we are all familiar with standing in the back of the room to stay awake or drinking a third cup of coffee for a mandatory class after a night shift. I did not have this problem while at Daniels. Conversations with speakers and faculty kept me engaged during class. My motivation was always elevated because I had control over my course of study.
Your discipline and the skills developed during military service are appreciated here. The faculty at Daniels and their network can make a difference in your career. Study at Daniels to start a new career or grow your professional network in a great way.
Helpful links to Military/Veteran Services below:
Office of the Registrar, Military Services, Michelle Hanson contact information:
http://www.du.edu/registrar/military.html
University of Denver Veteran Services and the Student Veteran Association: