Erica St. John

In my 2nd year, I was selected to be a leadership fellow, one of 40 students who serve as mentors, ambassadors, and teaching assistants for first years.

Helping to shape Wharton and its future

One of the activities I'm most passionate about at Wharton is the Dean's Graduate Student Advisory Committee (DGSAC), which offers students the rare chance to work alongside the dean to shape the strategic direction of Wharton. This past year, I worked on a project dedicated to the Wharton student experience; we examined how academics, cohorts, learning teams, diversity, sense of community and a host of other factors impact student experience. Together with other key stakeholders, such as faculty and administrators, we focused on how to maximize the student experience in order to drive even greater alumni engagement and further strengthen the Wharton brand. As co-chair of the committee next year, I look forward to carrying on the tradition.

Getting involved

I believe it's our right and responsibility as students to get involved. Many talented students came before us and many more will follow; however, we have a unique opportunity while we're on campus to not only make our experience everything we want it to be but also leave our mark on this fine institution. The entrepreneurial spirit of the Wharton student body comes through in the hundreds of student-run organizations, from the Wharton Graduate Association and Wharton Journal to a variety of professional, social and athletic clubs. At Wharton, students are fortunate to have a seat at the table alongside faculty, administrators and alumni, and it's up to us to make the most of this opportunity.

Welcoming the new class

One of the roles I'm most looking forward to next year is that of a Leadership Fellow. In all, 40 rising second years were selected to serve as ambassadors and mentors to the incoming class of first years. I'm excited to welcome them to the Wharton community at the learning team retreat in August and set the stage for their entire Wharton experience. I'm also eager to participate in the new core leadership class, consisting of a real-world simulation for the first time. To me, serving as a Leadership Fellow represents experiential learning at its best, allowing me to develop my leadership strengths and weaknesses in a real-time setting.

Learning a new type of leadership

Prior to Wharton, I spent six years in investment banking. As a vice president, I had analysts and associates working for me, while I reported to directors and managing directors. Leadership in such a hierarchical organization is largely dictated by the chain of command. Since coming to Wharton, I've realized that leading a group of peers is in many ways both more difficult and more rewarding. In my learning team and as a Leadership Fellow, I've learned that individuals often have different motivations and achieving collective goals requires appealing to those various motivations. I can't think of a more important lesson for a senior executive to learn.

Expanding my horizons

At the end of my first year, I joined 60 of my classmates on a student-organized trek to Israel. Having never been there, I was overwhelmed by the religious and cultural experience. We saw the best of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, camped out with the Bedouins in the Negev desert, floated in the Dead Sea, experienced a kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee, explored the Golan Heights and rafted down the Jordan River. It was truly incredible to see the country through the eyes of classmates who grew up there. In addition, I met classmates from Germany, Italy, Japan and Nigeria who I might not have met otherwise.

After college, I spent seven years working in financial services. I loved the work and saw a promising career, but felt my professional growth crowding out my personal growth. At Wharton, I have rounded out my knowledge base, adding marketing and operations to my finance and accounting background. I have learned how to lead in real-world situations, with my learning team, as a Leadership Fellow and as co-chair of the Dean's Graduate Student Advisory Committee. Perhaps most importantly though, I have explored new paths, rediscovered parts of myself, and built lifelong friendships.

Interests: Running, basketball, softball, tennis, golf, travel

At Wharton

Part of the Health Care Management program

Extracurricular Activities/Clubs: Dean's Graduate Student Advisory Committee, Leadership Fellow, member of Finance, Investment Management, and Private Equity/Venture Capital clubs

Internships/Career Treks: Summer internship at hedge fund, private equity and sports business career treks

Favorite Class(es): Competitive Strategy, Decision Models and Uncertainty

In Philadelphia

Current Residence: RiverLoft

Favorite Philadelphia Activities/Places: Rittenhouse Square, Schuykill River, Phillies games

Favorite Philadelphia Restaurants: Melograno, Amada, Mercato