Student Voices

Austin Rombalski, '11

After he graduates from Carthage in May 2011, Austin Rombalski plans to pursue a master’s degree in financial engineering or financial mathematics, and then work as a trader/quantitative analyst for an investment firm. Math has always been his favorite subject, he says.

"I was always good at it growing up, and I had a great high school math teacher who further excited me about the subject,” Austin says. “As I’ve progressed through college, I’ve really become interested in applying mathematics to the finance realm, specifically investing and trading.”

A long-term career goal is to run his own small investment firm.

At Carthage, Austin has been able to get to know his professors and get involved on campus. He is president of the Finance & Investment Club, “which has allowed me to meet more great people and spread some personal finance and investing knowledge to my fellow students at Carthage,” he says.

He also did research on an investment arbitrage project with Professor Joseph Wall.

"The faculty at Carthage is great," Austin says. "Everybody in the Math Department is more than willing to give you the extra time you need to grasp those particularly difficult topics. They are also all very energetic and bring that passion for mathematics into all their classes."

Favorite professor: "My favorite professor in the program would have to be Professor Snavely. He has been my advisor since my sophomore year and I've worked with him the most. The best thing about him is that he is genuinely caring for his students, and always enjoys seeing them do well with accomplishing new things. He also is a great teacher. Whenever I enroll in his classes, I know that I will thoroughly understand the topics by the time we are done."

Favorite class: "My favorite class has been Securities & Portfolio Analysis. I loved how I could use my quantitative background to analyze the equities and derivative markets. It was the perfect blend between my passion for mathematics and the financial realm."

Toughest class: "My toughest classes had to be the two Heritage classes. Reading and analyzing classic texts has never been my strongest suit, and those classes were no exception."

Favorite moments at Carthage: "Everybody here at Carthage is great. The faculty are always approachable and generally enthusiastic teaching their classes. Learning in a smaller classroom environment has been great, as it allows any student to get individual help from professors."

Favorite spot on campus: "My favorite spot on campus would probably have to been anywhere outside where you can enjoy the view of Lake Michigan. It really is a beautiful campus."

Biggest surprises so far: "My biggest surprise personally has been how much I've enjoyed expanding and applying my mathematical background to the finance area. I would have never guessed I would be heading down that path when I left high school and came over to Carthage. My advice to any students coming in would be to keep an open mind and explore topics to see what you are truly interested in!"

Student Voices

Joshua Collins, '12

"I have always enjoyed working with numbers and the problem-solving that is required in mathematics. When I realized that you could make a good wage doing it, I was sold."
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Read student voices featuring graduated students.

Carthage Math Journal

Sine on the Dotted Line, the Carthage Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics.