Empowering Success: How the FWA Mentoring Program Transforms Lives

June 15, 2023

Michelle Reznik is a first-generation Ukrainian American, and graduating senior from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business, majoring in Finance. She feels honored to be selected as a mentee featured in this month’s FWA newsletter and looks forward to starting her career at BMO Capital Markets this summer.


According to Michelle, the FWA Baruch College Mentoring Program has been exceptional, providing her with a mentor who could understand any problems she encountered and offer advice to help her become a better version of herself. Michelle is grateful for the program's support, which aided in her professional development, both within and outside of Baruch. She is also grateful for BMO Capital Market’s support through its Equity Through Education funding. She is a recipient of its scholarship funds and appreciates its commitment to Baruch students.


Michelle revealed that her mentor, Aidi Zheng, a BMO Director in Global Markets Corporate Banking, was extraordinary, providing her with the best advice and guidance she could ask for. That BMO connection was extremely helpful, providing an excellent means for Michelle to meet her mentor in person, even though they resided in different states. The two have built a great connection and have regular catch-up sessions and coffee chats virtually. She has built a BMO network including other Baruch graduates, FWA mentors and panelists at BMO’s annual meet and greet event.


Aidi has always supported Michelle's decisions and provided a fresh perspective on any matter, helping Michelle understand her circumstances and options better. By nudging her into finding her own way, Aidi helped Michelle better understand her goals and expectations of herself and how she could best achieve them.


Being a part of the mentoring program taught Michelle how impactful being surrounded by powerful women truly is. She has grown as a person and as a career professional through the mentoring program, and she wants to become a mentor to support future generations of students. Michelle has learned how valuable it is to be a part of a strong community and how a mentor could make a significant difference in one's personal and professional life.


Michelle urges other college students to find a mentor, communicate with their mentor once a connection is established, and make the most of the opportunity. Michelle said, “the FWA mentoring program has provided me with a life-long mentor and support system that will always be there for me.”


Inspired by Michelle’s story? Ready to mentor a talented college student launching her business career? Contact Baruch College program lead Betsy Werley ([email protected]) or Seton Hall University program leads Donna Harris ([email protected]) or Lu Licciardello ( [email protected]).

Introducing Our Gala Emcee

September 17, 2026
We are pleased to announce Steve Liesman, CNBC’s senior economics reporter, as emcee of the FWA's 70th Anniversary Gala on October 8, 2026. As CNBC’s senior economics reporter, Steve Liesman reports on all aspects of the economy, including the Federal Reserve and major economic indicators. He appears on “ Squawk Box ” (M-F, 6 AM-9 AM ET), as well as other CNBC programs throughout the business day. Liesman joined CNBC from The Wall Street Journal , where he served as a senior economics reporter covering monetary policy, international economics, academic research, and productivity. At the Journal , Liesman previously worked as an energy reporter and Moscow bureau chief. He won an Emmy for his coverage of the financial crisis and was a member of the reporting team recognized with a Pulitzer Prize for stories chronicling the crash of the Russian financial markets.

Announcing Our 2026 Male Ally of the Year

September 15, 2026
 The FWA is pleased to share that Jonathan Dambrot will be honored as the 2026 Male Ally of the Year at the FWA's 70th Anniversary Gala on October 8, 2026. Jonathan Dambrot is CEO and Co-Founder of Cranium AI, the independent end-to-end platform for enterprise AI security and governance. He has built a category leader once before — and is doing it again for the AI era. Before Cranium, Jonathan grew Prevalent from a startup into a Gartner- and Forrester-recognized leader in third-party risk management, through its 2016 sale to Insight Partners. As a Partner at KPMG, he led third-party security globally, launched the firm's AI security services, and incubated Cranium inside KPMG Studio — spinning it out of stealth in April 2023 on a simple thesis: every SaaS application is now an AI application, so every SaaS risk is now an AI risk.

Announcing Our 2026 Lifetime Public Service Honoree

September 10, 2026
The FWA is pleased to share that Carolyn Maloney will be honored with the 2026 Lifetime Public Service award at the FWA's 70th Anniversary Gala on October 8, 2026. We look forward to introducing additional honorees in the weeks ahead.

Celebrating the Wall Street Exchange Class of 2026

September 8, 2026
The Financial Women's Association celebrated the graduation of 39 students from the 2026 Wall Street Exchange (WSE) Program , closing a milestone year as the program marks 50 years of connecting students with industry leaders. This year's cohort interned at 18 firms and represented 28 colleges. On Tuesday, July 28, FWA President Albana Theka opened the virtual celebration with words of wisdom to the interns on their entry into their first career positions and advice about how to apply their program learnings. She invited them to join the FWA as students, so they can continue to take advantage of FWA’s rich resources and vast network of financial services professionals. Co-Chair Gerri Bostick then introduced Chen Rao, Vice President, Global Markets ALM Treasury at BNP Paribas, the keynote speaker. Chen is a former Wall Street Exchange intern and a former member of the program committee, and she shared the value of these experiences to her career. She also spoke about the characteristics needed to succeed and offered practical advice on how to excel early in one's career. The interns met in breakouts to share their summer experiences along with key WSE program takeaways they plan to carry forward into their careers. They then participated in a fun Wall Street Exchange quiz game where they tested their knowledge from the sessions they attended and earned prizes. The high level of engagement throughout the summer was evident in their ability to answer all the prompts accurately. Wrapping up the celebration, Co-Chair Laura Smith Dunaief announced the graduates followed by special recognition of those who attended all seven sessions. Twenty students will receive free CFA Society student memberships. Throughout the program, the Wall Street Exchange cohort met with industry professionals, asked sharp questions about AI and the future of work, and built relationships that will extend well beyond graduation. They came curious. They're leaving connected. Congratulations, 2026 WSE cohort​! We're looking forward to staying connected as you build what's next. The WSE Co-Chairs, ​Gerri Feemster Bostick and ​Laura Smith Dunaief, and the WSE Committee extend their sincere appreciation to FWA President Albana Theka, ​Chen Rao, BNP Paribas, and the CFA Society New York for their support in making the​ closing session a success. We also thank FWA’s leadership and WSE’s volunteers, sponsoring firms, and participating employers for their continued commitment to providing this valuable experience to the next generation of financial professionals.
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