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As the year comes to a close, we pick up our Northeastern University Q&A series with our Fall 2020 co-ops and share Magenta Lopez's experience and insight.
What is your major/background/hobbies/interests at Northeastern?
I am a fourth-year business major, concentrating in Finance with a minor in Law and Public Policy, planning to graduate in May 2021. Outside of class at Northeastern, I’m involved in clubs including Women in Finance and NU Dance Company. When it comes to hobbies, I’ve been a dancer my whole life, I enjoy playing guitar, traveling, and I recently started my own business creating and selling macrame plant hangers and wall decor for fun!
What were you hoping to gain through the NE co-op experience?
The opportunity for a co-op experience was one of the main reasons I chose Northeastern, and I am so happy I did! I was eager to have hands-on experience so I could solidify what I wanted to pursue after college. Through both of my co-ops at Bain Capital and now Stax, I have been exposed to very different sides of the business, immensely improved my tactical skills, and met so many interesting people.
What are your co-op responsibilities and what have you learned over the last six months?
I appreciate how the co-ops at Stax are given a wide range of responsibilities and are truly part of the project teams. As a co-op, I was heavily involved in primary research and outreach. Additionally, I had exposure to slide creation for client deliverables and some survey creation and testing.
During my time here, I’ve been most interested to hear from clients about what attracts them to an investment or what would be a red flag in a certain industry. It is intriguing to find out the questions that potential investors care about.
What has been your most memorable experience at Stax? What has been your favorite industry, product, or service to evaluate?
Over the past few months, I’ve been introduced to many types of industries. Whether it was skincare ingredients, spices and seasoning, or different types of software, I was captivated by how quickly the team was able to learn in such depth about an industry and its nuances. My favorite industry I experienced was in the skincare ingredients space. I was excited because it was my first project of co-op, and secondly, it was an industry where I knew many of the brands and ingredients we were discussing.
How has this experience compared with other co-op opportunities you have had?
This co-op at Stax is my second and final co-op at Northeastern. Prior to Stax, I worked at Bain Capital in their Investor Relations role. While I enjoyed that position and learned so much from it, it was more routine-focused and less dynamic. I was drawn to consulting and Stax for a more fast-paced, project-based environment where I had exposure to different industries and clients, and that is exactly what I found here at Stax.
What advice would you give to an incoming co-op/intern?
My advice for an incoming co-op is to not be afraid to ask questions if you don’t fully understand something. If there is a workstream you are looking to learn more about, the team will be happy to show you the ropes. Everyone at Stax has been so friendly and more than willing to take time to teach me.
How has the Stax co-op experience helped guide your post-graduation careers goal/path?
My experience at
Stax
has solidified my interest in pursuing consulting post-graduation. I thoroughly enjoyed the critical thinking and problem-solving nature of the projects, and I would love to continue improving my analytical skills.
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