Kelechi Onyia
Wharton ’28
Finance
GRIP: FinTech in Medellin
Contact
Ask Me About…
I am not a native Spanish-speaker, nor have I taken classes of the language here at Penn. However, I learned Spanish for 3 years in high school and really enjoyed practicing my fluency. I am also from New York City, which is a very diverse city, and I had so many Hispanic friends growing up, some of which were Colombian-Americans. So, I’m not completely new to the Spanish language or Hispanic culture.
Being that GRIP would be my first opportunity to go abroad to another country other than my parents’, Nigeria, I was very interested in going to Colombia because I wanted to immerse myself in a language and culture that was not my own and develop strong communication skills. It was honestly a curiosity of Colombian culture, dedication for an internship in finance, and hearing positive things from friends that made me want to do an internship there.
As for some background, I am a student at Wharton, studying Finance and minoring in Computational Cognitive Science. I also lead as Co-President for BlackGen Capital which has sparked my interests in researching companies’ all around the world and following their financial performance. Specifically, the telecom, media, and consumer industry as I find their product offerings the most interesting.
My Experience Abroad
Coming into Colombia and interning in financial auditing, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I didn’t know how much Spanish I would need at a professional level, I had no prior experience in auditing, and I didn’t know anyone else in my cohort. What I did know was that I was ready to fully embrace the experience, both professionally and socially.
My intern office was incredibly welcoming and understanding of my American background and interest in finance, and they made an effort to give me meaningful, stimulating work. I analyzed financial statements for several Colombian clients, organizing and verifying key information. I also had the opportunity to shadow my boss in a meeting with an entertainment client that works with Karol G and J Balvin. It was such a cool experience to see firsthand the type of work she does and the clients she collaborates with.
After long days at work, I would head back to our part of Medellín to grab dinner with other Penn students in my cohort and catch up on our days. Eating out and going on little side quests became a big part of our time there, and I’m really glad I got to know everyone so well. Overall, I’m incredibly grateful for the professional growth and for the warmth of Colombian culture that made the experience even more special.
Other Highlights
1: Eating Lunch with My Coworkers
In Colombia, I realized that the people there are so hospitable and social. My coworkers insisted on buying me lunch or desserts the first days at work so we could get to know each other well, and I was able to try common Colombian cuisines. I did make sure that I would cover my own meals, and I still looked forward to talking with them all during lunch and stroll around the mall after. Getting to know them was really interesting, and it opened my narrative, hearing the differences in both of our lives.
2: Taking a Salsa/Bachata class
I took one or two salsa/bachata classes with the rest of the Penn cohort and it was hilarious and fun. The instructor literally started calling us out for being so bad, but we laughed it off and tried our best. I, on the other hand, wanted to improve in bachata so I signed up for the weekly classes with a couple of other students interning in Colombia (in and outside of Penn). I really enjoyed going to it because I got to practice partner-dancing which I’ve never done on WAVe and with a different genre of music.
3: Communa Trece Tour
Communa Trece is a famous community in Medellin, Colombia, and we were really excited to visit it as we wanted to experience all the different landmarks of Colombia. It was really tourist-y and packed, but it was a nice place to buy souvenirs and food, and listen to Colombian street music.
4: Cartagena
Although this wasn’t under the Penn Abroad programming, almost all of the Penn students and some of the other students doing the program flew out to Cartagena, the vacation/beach area of Colombia. We planned for a lot of different areas to go to, places to party at, beaches to tan on, and restaurants to eat at in the 4 days we had for our 4 day weekend. It was the best time, and really valued the experience we had there.
