Undergraduate Student – Samantha Stainer, sms341@pitt.edu is a Senior pursuing a dual major in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Psychology. She is also the President of Women in Economics and will graduate in the Spring of 2023.
My decision to pursue an Economics degree at Pitt was based primarily on the interactions I had with Economics Professors my freshman year. I came to college as an intended Political Science major and was unsure if this was the right decision for me. After taking the Intro to Economics courses with David Hewitt and Kevin Shaver over the course of my freshman year, I became impressed by the department and intrigued at the opportunities that would become available to me with an Economics degree!
I joined Women in Economics my sophomore year, as I was looking to meet other women in my major. Since then, I served as the Program’s Chair over the course of my junior year, and recently began my final position as President. This club has been an integral part of my college career, providing me with leadership experience and an opportunity to give back to my peers. The primary goal of the club is to create a community of strong women in a male dominated major. We host social events, professional development opportunities and volunteer activities and meet every Tuesday at 7pm in Posvar Hall room 4940. We would love for you to join us!
I am very grateful for having recently accepted an offer with L.E.K Consulting to work as a Strategy Associate in their Boston office after graduation. In this position, I will primarily be focused on identifying problems, researching causation, and implementing solutions for clients in a wide variety of industries. I am extremely excited to begin work in such a challenging and opportunistic field and look forward to exploring a new city!
As my time here at Pitt comes to an end, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities, experiences and people who have made these past years unforgettable. I highly recommend any underclassmen to take advantage of every opportunity that is provided to them, no matter how much it is out of your comfort zone! Pitt and the Economics Department are full of incredible professors, mentors and resources who will go out of their way to see you succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, reach out to the people who inspire you, and never let someone tell you that you are not capable of achieving your dreams.