As part of the Voices Lecture Series, alumnus Todd Salika ’90 was invited to speak to our students about overcoming adversity.
Before Hudson Valley, Todd sent his application to three or four colleges. The only college he was accepted to was Hudson Valley. Through his Hudson Valley experience, he became more focused. Part of the entrepreneurial club, Todd found his passion for finance. Following this passion, he transferred to SUNY Albany to pursue a degree in business. Todd graduated sum cum laude from the business school. While pursuing his education he worked at the Desmond Hotel. Todd knew that working 80 hour weeks was not sustainable but it was what he knew. While at an AYCO Christmas party, he took a risk, approached the president of the company and asked for an interview. (He’d sent several resumes to the company.) The president was impressed with his spirit and extended an interview to Todd and ultimately offered him a position.
Fast forward to today, Todd runs his own firm at Merrill Lynch and values the relationships that he has developed over the years. The parting wisdom Todd left with our students was “actions create opportunity,” and encouraged our student to seize opportunity.
Published: Fri, 13 Feb 2015 12:50:54 +0000 by g.miller