Note: Isabella Thomsen is part of a small group of high-achieving seniors to be highlighted in the 2024 Hatter Headliners series.

For graduating senior Isabella Thomsen, who will receive her bachelor’s degree in Finance with a concentration in investments and minors in applied statistics and business systems and analytics, Stetson was a safe haven from the first moment she stepped on campus.

“When I was doing my college search, I was looking for smaller schools throughout the South, and Stetson was the only Florida school I ended up applying to,” she said. “I ended up coming here because of the business school. I knew I wanted to be a Finance major, and I really enjoyed the Roland George Investments Program here.”

Campus Involvement

A member of Alpha Chi Omega, Thomsen has taken advantage of the relationship-rich environment the Hatter community has to offer. She was involved in the volleyball club for a while and, over her years as a student of the School of Business Administration, she has participated in a number of competitions that that have taken her to different states such as New York, Miami and even international — all the way to Vancouver, Canada.

Recently, Thomsen was part of the Roland George Investments Program competition team that won the Florida CFA Research Championship.

“The faculty and your peers are really willing to support you and guide you,” she said. “I don’t think I would have had these opportunities if I didn’t come to Stetson or if I didn’t make sure to reach out to faculty, because I’ve been encouraged to do a lot of things that I initially didn’t think I was capable of. At first, I always said no, and then I had friends or faculty really support me and encourage me to do them, and I’m so glad that I did.”

Through her years at Stetson, Thomsen did not only excel in the classroom by earning good grades but also captivated her professors with her joyful personality, her curiosity and her drive to thrive, be challenged and learn.

“Izzy is a joy to be around,” said Matthew Hurst, PhD, associate professor of Finance and Director of the Roland and Sarah George Investments Institute. “She is always smiling and in good spirits. She takes everything in stride. Beyond her academic ability, which is top-rate, she has poise, grace, and maturity far beyond her years. She helps her friends and classmates without complaint and is always seeking to better herself through the process. Izzy is captivating when she speaks, her arguments are compelling, but it is the intangibles that make her presentations resonate.”

The Road Ahead

Despite a bittersweet ending to her college career, Thomsen is looking forward to the road ahead. She will be furthering her education at Vanderbilt University, where she will pursue a master’s in Science and Finance.

“Isabella gets it,” said John Tichenor, PhD, associate professor of Management and chair of Management. “She gets that business is about more than maximizing profit — it is about creating value for stakeholders. I am glad she is going into the finance industry. We need more people with Izzy’s perspective in the industry. In the courses I was fortunate enough to have Izzy in, she was extremely curious and challenged her classmates and me when she had questions.”

Thomsen’s Q&A

What is your favorite memory at Stetson?
My favorite memories have to do with Greek Life. All of the events I have been to over the last four years in regard to Alpha Chi Omega have been my favorite, but also the events from the Panhellenic community. Recruitment Week is so exhausting, but it is so rewarding at the end that it makes the whole experience worth it. Also, just making some of your best friends in Greek Life and in the Panhellenic community.

What was your favorite class at Stetson?
I had two favorite classes. One of them is called “Social Justice and the Bottom Line,” and it focused on corporate social responsibility and the corporate world. I took this class in Innsbruck, Austria, when I studied abroad and this class was really interesting because we had the opportunity to meet local business leaders and some of them were Stetson alums. So, we got to interview them and talk to them about their CRF efforts and learn how local companies are run in that area. My second favorite class was “Business Statistics,” it was such a fun class. It actually was something I was not expecting to really enjoy but Dr. (John) Rasp, (PhD, associate professor of Business Systems and Analytics), shaped my perspective so much in the class that I ended up becoming a statistics minor, so I believe that was one of my foundations. I can say I had a lot of fun in that class.

What’s the biggest thing you learned at Stetson?
Probably the biggest thing I learned at Stetson is that what you put in is what you get out. I really saw that in all aspects of my involvement here, whether it was in academics and putting in the extra work, or even in Greek Life and getting involved. I would say having leadership positions is probably the biggest thing you can do here at Stetson, because it can help you meet so many new people that you wouldn’t expect to meet. I met so many wonderful people through study abroad — I left to Innsbruck, Austria, without knowing anyone and came back with four awesome friends. Give everything you have into the Stetson experience and it’s going to be so rewarding.

– Andrea Mujica