Contrary to what many would assume, Amanda Blutig ’22, was not originally thrilled to join the Syracuse University Orange family. Why? Well, because ironically her older brother beat her to it.
Blutig, from Nanuet, NY recalls, “My brother just graduated this year, so it actually made me not want to go to Syracuse University. I wanted to be my own person. However, I visited the school and I loved it. I also went to a Leadership Scholar Dinner during my senior year. I still had no clue where I was going to college at that point, but after that dinner I told my mom we can cancel all the tours with other schools.”
She continues, “The speaker and hosts made me feel that the Whitman School wanted me there and they understood the worth of students. It felt like a family and still does. I love how close-knit faculty are to students.”
People are what Blutig loves most about being part of the University’s community. She states, “I like the diverse perspectives that everyone brings. My hometown is small and not as diverse, but at the University I really appreciate that people are willing to challenge my thoughts, because without that, there is no growth.”
Before Syracuse, Blutig was most passionate about sports. She explains, “Part of the reason why I love Syracuse and Whitman so much is because it pushes me to find my passions. Growing up, my passion was soccer. For about 10 years of my life, I traveled the country going to tournaments and showcases.”
Blutig helped her team win three NY State championships and made it to two national championships. However, she decided to take a break from soccer when she was accepted to college.
Although it may have been difficult to refocus her energy into a new endeavor, Blutig says, “The faculty, staff and even my friends at Syracuse and Whitman encouraged me to get involved early during at my time in college and to try many things because you will find your passion, which is what I was looking to do. After two years at the university I have for sure found that I am passionate about many things other than soccer, one being volunteering, which is why I decided to join Balancing the Books and be a peer mentor last fall.”
Blutig gives back to the community by volunteering with Balancing the Books, which is a financial literacy initiative between the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public Community Service, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the Syracuse City School District.
“About 20 students volunteer to go to the local Syracuse middle school and high school each Friday to teach the students goal setting and basic finance,” describes Blutig.
In addition, Blutig has served as the pledge class president of Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity and also is involved in Greek life with Alpha Chi Omega. Additionally, she will join one of Whitman’s most prestigious organizations, the Orange Value Fund as an analyst this coming fall.
Currently, Blutig is making the best of her summer situation. Although she was planning to study abroad, she is now interning with SiriusXM and Pandora remotely. She secured that internship through persistence and flexibility. She admits that it is difficult for sophomores to find investment banking internships, so she thought of a savvy way to find work with a company that fits her interests. Blutig enjoys music, fashion and business and used LinkedIn to network and secure this job.
Blutig has learned the importance of networking early on in her academic career. Following her senior year of high school, Blutig secured an internship with Louis Vuitton’s legal department by simply emailing lawyers and expressing her passion for the fashion industry.
She also added an information management and technology minor to her finance major after learning about the School of Information Studies from a friend. Blutig recalls, “I had no idea what the iSchool was before coming to Syracuse. My best friend was in the iSchool and they explained it to me, I thought it was really awesome.”
Blutig’s goals are to see new destinations and find a career that fits. She shares “After Syracuse, I want to travel a lot. I was planning to go abroad this summer, but it was canceled. I also want to hopefully move to NYC and work in investment banking or sales and trading.”
Her advice to incoming students is to say hello to people outside of class and be confident in yourself. When Blutig arrived at the University, she didn’t know anyone except her brother. She empathizes, “It’s so intimidating to arrive as a first-year student and know no one, but you have to be confident and put yourself out there. My confidence rose and my communication got better. My ability to accept others and understand others got better too.”
Learn more about other Whitman students and their experiences.
While at Syracuse, Maya works as a instructional assistant, serves on the Student Conduct Board and the Newhouse Student Representative Committee, as well as volunteers at the Slutzker Center for International Services.
- #WhitmanWatch: Michelle Truong ’21 - January 5, 2021
- #WhitmanWatch: Ze Zeng ’23 - December 1, 2020
- Student Profile: Ying Zhang ’21 - November 27, 2020