Master of Finance | Ambassadors
We encourage you to connect with our ambassadors via email, LinkedIn, or a 1:1 Zoom meeting to answer your questions about school culture, why they selected The Merage School, academic pathways, the path to UC Irvine from across the U.S. or another country, and much more. Take advantage of this great opportunity!

Kannitha Chea
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Irvine
Major(s)/Minor(s): Business Administration
Hometown: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Language(s): Khmer
As an international student from Cambodia with a strong background in banking and business, I have always been eager to push myself beyond my comfort zone. Moving abroad was a big and challenging decision, but it was here that I discovered my true passion for finance. My journey has been about embracing new experiences and developing a global perspective. During my time at UCI, I’ve been continuously supported by experienced professors, dedicated staff, and an incredible community of students. As an international student, the Merage School went above and beyond to make me feel like I truly belong. My career goal is to become a risk manager, where I can provide strategic guidance on mitigating risks that businesses face in a dynamic environment. In my free time, I enjoy going to the beach, visiting new places, and trying new food.

Brandon Bungwa
Undergraduate Institution: University of Zambia
Major(s)/Minor(s): Economics, Mathematics
Hometown: Lusaka, Zambia
Language(s): English
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I am a finance professional with over two years of experience and a strong passion for both investment management and investment banking. Currently, I serve as an analyst in UC Irvine’s Student Management Fund (SMIF), where I gain hands-on experience in securities evaluation, portfolio construction, and financial analysis, significantly strengthening my analytical skills and deepening my understanding of investment decision-making processes. My long-term career aspirations include earning the CFA charter and developing expertise in portfolio management, capital markets, fixed income markets, and corporate finance; beyond investment management, I am eager to explore opportunities in investment banking, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and corporate advisory, with the ultimate goal of contributing to the global financial industry while advancing Zambia’s financial markets. In my free time, I enjoy following global financial trends, networking with professionals in the industry, and engaging in outdoor activities.

Mingy Pham Ho
Undergraduate Institution: California State University, Dominguez Hills
Major(s)/Minor(s): Finance
Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Language(s): Vietnamese
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Hello! I'm Mingy. I'm currently an accounting intern in the real estate sector at CLA. Throughout my undergraduate journey, I’ve gained diverse experiences across various industries and completed multiple internships within different areas of business administration. What stood out to me about UCI is its holistic approach to graduate applications, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership. I aspire to work in one of the Big 4 Consulting Firms, MBB, real estate valuation, or being a M&A analyst. I love cooking. Before I became a finance major, I attended culinary school. On my free time, like to try out new recipes that I learned on TikTok.

Jinghan (Josh) Huang
Undergraduate Institution: University of Indianapolis
Major(s)/Minor(s): Finance
Hometown: Zhoushan, China
Language(s): Mandarin
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I’m a dedicated professional with a passion for continuous learning and growth. Before starting the MFin program, I gained valuable experience at the Penn Club of New York, focusing on providing excellent services for our memberships. I chose the UCI Merage School for a few compelling reasons. Firstly, the school’s strong emphasis on innovation and technology aligns perfectly with my career goals. Additionally, the diverse and collaborative community at Merage is something I truly value. My primary career goal is to become a business data analyst within a dynamic organization, focusing on utilizing data to drive strategic decisions and improve overall business performance. Ultimately, I see this journey as an opportunity to contribute to business growth and innovation through the power of data analytics. In my free time, I like going to the gym every day to be a strong man!

Christian McCormick
Undergraduate Institution: California State University, Dominguez Hills
Major(s)/Minor(s): Business Administration, Finance
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Language(s): Japanese
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Before starting my academic journey, I was part of the founding team behind "Midnight HI", a Honolulu-based startup in the restaurant industry. After a brief career as an audio engineer in Los Angeles, I received my BSc in Business Administration. I chose to attend the UCI Paul Merage School of Business due to its quantitative and CFA-related curriculum. Additionally, the resources available to students at the Merage School are ideal for a student like me who enjoys being a self-starter. My ultimate career goals involve impact and innovation. Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I aim to utilize my education at UCI to provide me with the proper tools and perspective necessary to provide value to the world around me. Additionally, I am a lifelong musician and fully certified audio engineer who can play nine instruments. I love to travel, make music, be outdoors, and read in my free time.

Isha Menon
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Irvine
Major(s)/Minor(s): Business Administration
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Language(s): Hindi (Native), Spanish (Conversational)
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Hello, I'm Isha! I went to UCI for my undergraduate. I interned at an Asset Management firm in Newport Beach in a trading role after my sophomore year of college. After my junior year, I interned in a Wealth Management role. I really enjoy the technical aspect of finance and mixing it with interpersonal and relationship building skills. I had a great experience at the Merage School. The professors really care about students here and they make it easy to get to know them and build relationships. Some career goals I have are taking the CFA and CFP exams. I want to continue to try new roles within Finance to gain more experience. I love to hike, bike, spend time outside, thrift and shop in general, try new food, and learn new instruments.

Elizabeth Villanueva Orrego
Undergraduate Institution: UPC (Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicdas), Kima, Peru
Major(s)/Minor(s): Economics and International Business
Hometown: Lima, Peru
Language(s):Spanish and English
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Hi! I’m Elizabeth, and I’m from Peru. I currently work in the corporate finance sector for a leading bank, and prior to this, I gained experience in the real estate industry while working with renowned international consulting firms like EY and PwC. I’m here to share recommendations and tips to help you elevate your career to the next level, and I also speak Spanish, so feel free to reach out in either language. When I’m not working, I love cooking, dancing, and spending quality time with my family and friends, and I’m a friendly and approachable person—so don’t hesitate to ask any questions about the program or the application process. I look forward to connecting with you!

Sushrut Rathod
Undergraduate Institution: University of Mumbai
Major(s)/Minor(s): Engineering - Electronics and Telecommunications
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Language(s): Hindi, Marathi, Banjara
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I graduated in 2023. Lockdown gave me an opportunity to work with an NGO where I handled books and donations. That's when my interest in finance sparked. Continued pursuing courses, internship and a couple of virtual internships to gain more knowledge and landed a job in an Accounting Firm. I chose UCI Paul Merage School of Business because I really liked the flexibility of choosing electives. My initial career goal is to start working in a real estate company in their Asset Management Team. Finance and real estate is still somewhat new to me, my background is engineering which helped me build all the analytical and quantitative skills. My hobbies include listening to music, playing soccer and basketball, learning a new language, photography and videography.

Chris Smith
Undergraduate Institution: California State University, Dominguez Hills
Major(s)/Minor(s): Mathematics
Hometown: Inglewood, CA
Language(s): American Sign Language
Specialization/Track: Corporate Finance
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Prior to going into finance, I served as a mathematics teacher to middle and high school students. After ten years in education, I decided to leave the classroom and launch my own math tutoring and sports training enterprise: Mathletix LLC. It was having to wear multiple hats as a business owner that piqued my interest in business school. My dream job is to become CFO for Nike. How I see it, “shoot extremely high, if you happen to miss the intended mark, you’re still amongst great options.” I am currently working diligently and intentionally here at the Paul Merge School of Business to align myself with my future career goal. My top hobby away from my professional world involves riding and/or working on motorcycles.

Mithula (Mia) Umakanth
Undergraduate Institution: Jain University
Major(s)/Minor(s): Finance and Accounting
Hometown: Bangalore, India
Language(s): Kannada, Hindi, Korean
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I used to work with Indian National Congress in the research wing focused on women empowerment, sports and economics, I then worked with Puma to help build their badminton product line in India. I also worked with gosports foundation in their partnerships and communications team and Deloitte in their FP&A team. I chose UCI Paul Merage School of Business because of the community, personalized attention, flexible curriculum and just the sheer amount of opportunities outside of education on campus. I also love reading novels, working out and watching k-dramas.