Zachary Larkin

Zachary Larkin knew Emory was the place for him. Getting a firsthand look at the resources available to students - the finance lab and more - made his decision to enter Goizueta’s Master of Finance program a ‘no brainer.’ 

“I found that I had everything here that I needed to succeed, and it matched exactly what was listed within the program outlined within the curriculum,” Zachary says. “I saw that this was going to be a place that I would have room to grow and have colleagues surrounding me to add a layer of support throughout my time here.” 

Prior to coming to Goizueta, Zachary worked at Bank of America where he worked in various parts of the country, allowing him to discover different areas within finance. 

“I decided to pursue a Master of Finance because I had multiple colleagues that I worked with throughout my time at Bank of America that had a lot of different skillsets that they highlighted were necessary to succeed within the industry in the long term,” Zachary says. The program helped Zachary build upon his technical abilities, helping him pivot his career into computational finance and finance engineering. 

“I look back to the way I was at the very beginning of the program and look at where I am now, and I wouldn’t even begin to recognize myself because of the tools and the capabilities that I've been able to really grow since my time here,” he says. 

Zachary has continued to be surprised throughout his time in the program from leadership opportunities to immersive experiences, but what has surprised him the most is how his general understanding of the financial world has changed. 

“[The program] altered my entire understanding of what finance meant to me,” Zachary says. “I saw finance as almost what they would call a ‘New York to California’ mindset, and I'd say that my mind really expanded. We have people from all over the world, but then we also have an emphasis of understanding all the different markets within it. I feel like Emory’s put an emphasis on that, and it really helps me stand apart from the pack at the end of the day.”