By Jessica K., Samiya N.
The Fall 2025 class of the AFM 334 International Study course spent a memorable reading week in New York City! A pillar of the United States, New York is an urban hub of culture, diversity and commerce. Home to iconic sights of Times Square, Broadway and Wall Street, the city offered us a glimpse into the spirit of modern life through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Meet the class
Marketing and Culture
Jessica (AFM ’28) and Samiya (AFM ’28) made up Fall 2025’s Marketing and Culture team.
Their responsibilities revolved around planning and leading our weekends in New York City, along with organizing team-building activities. Some of the experiences they organized were our visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a viewing of the city skyline at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
Learn about how an unexpected flood warning led to the best experience of the trip.
Corporate Relations
The Corporate Relations team included Abi (AFM ’28), Gokul (AFM ’28), Ronis (AFM ’26), Mahmoud (AFM ’26), Michael (AFM ’26), and Austin (AFM ’26).
This team was responsible for organizing meetings with various companies based in New York City. The team reached out via their connections, as well as cold emailing professionals through LinkedIn. A few of the companies the team arranged for the class to meet with included The New York Times, TD Cowen and Evercore.
Meals and Logistics
Riley (AFM ’28), Arhun (AFM ’28) and Shashwat (AFM ’27) comprised the Meals and Logistics team.
The role of this team was to organize hotel accommodations and flights, planning and researching transportation systems, and scheduling dinners with business professionals. The team also took the lead for arranging transportation between meetings, ensuring that everyone was on a timely schedule, and booking spaces for breakfast briefings on the day of the meetings.
Initial impressions
When we first landed in New York City, we were greeted with signs welcoming us to the “Big Apple”. The city was as it was depicted in film: busy streets littered with yellow taxis, towering skyscrapers and neon lights. The subway system was vast and large, to the point where it became a common occurrence for us to compare the MTA to the TTC.
Sightseeing
Our weekend was filled with adventures involving exploring the city and diverse cultures. We wandered through the streets of SoHo, observed collections and artifacts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and watched a live musical on Broadway!
One of the most meaningful experiences that solidified our trip was visiting SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for a view of the city’s skyline. Standing over the city at 1100 feet provided us with a 360° view of the city, spanning the Empire State Building to the Statue of Liberty!
Business meetings
Throughout our trip, we had the privilege of meeting with 12 companies. These ranged from startups to institutions across industries of finance, private equity, legal and mass media. The companies included:
- TD Cowen
- Evercore
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Nitish Sharma
- Kroll
- Goldman Sachs
- New York Stock Exchange
- Mosaic
- Blackstone
- KKR
- The New York Times
- Compass
Our visits helped us understand how New York positions itself as a global corporate hub for business through its contribution to the economy. We gained insight into how many of these corporations participate in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the largest stock exchange facilitating global trade and financial activity from Wall Street.
Additionally, we learned how these companies are implementing and futureproofing for the rapidly growing force of Artificial Intelligence. At these meetings, we were also able to see the city’s skyline from various angles. Meeting rooms showcased beautiful views, from the Rockefeller Centre to the Hudson River!
Conclusion
We thank our professor, Steve Balaban, teaching assistant Luka P and alumni development officer Victoria Hinde for their guidance and making this trip happen. None of this would have been possible without them!
From our sights to our meetings with business leaders, we can say with utmost certainty “We ♡ NY”!