A native of Wyckoff, N.J., Daniel Parisi graduated from the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics with a bachelor’s of science degree in finance.
Parisi was nominated for this series by Assistant Professor of Finance Howland Redding, Associate Professor of Finance Jack Bao, and Academic Advisor Kate Groop, who all commented on his enthusiasm and strong work ethic.
In this profile, Parisis shares his favorite UD memories, challenges he has overcome and his plans following graduation.
Lerner: How do you think you have changed from your first semester at UD to now?
Parisi: Coming in as a freshman, I cared way too much about what other people thought of me. I was driven and hardworking, but I avoided uncomfortable conversations, and I led by example but never with my voice. Over three years, that completely changed. I found my confidence, I found my voice, and I stopped running from hard conversations and started chasing them. The biggest shift was moving from being focused on myself to being focused on the people around me…how I can show up for my teammates, my peers, and anyone I come into contact with every single day and being the light.
Lerner: What have been some of the challenges you have faced during your college experience and how did you overcome them?
Parisi: One of the biggest challenges I faced was breaking my hand last summer during football camp. What made it even harder was that I didn’t sit out. I practiced every single day with a big cast on, which made it almost impossible to catch the football. For a wide receiver, your hands are everything, and struggling to do something that used to come naturally completely shook my confidence. I had to dig deep, stay locked in, and rebuild my confidence from the ground up while still showing up every single day. That experience strengthened me in a way nothing else could have, mentally, emotionally and as a competitor.
Another major challenge was a high stakes internship interview that didn’t go the way I planned. I went in overthinking everything, nervous, and not fully myself. Instead of letting that defeat me I used it as fuel. I broke down exactly what went wrong and worked on my confidence, my presence, and my ability to genuinely connect with people. When my next opportunity came around I walked in completely different, present, confident and locked in. That interviewer told me word for word it was the best interview he had ever done. That failure was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
Lerner: What was your favorite signature UD experience and why?
Parisi: My favorite UD experience was attending the 68 Ventures Bowl with my football team. The entire week leading up to the game was something I will never forget. Spending that time with my teammates, bonding, competing and just being fully present in that moment together was incredibly special. There is nothing like being surrounded by your brothers during a week like that. To top it all off we finished the week with a big win, and I got to play in the game and run down on the kickoff team. Representing the University of Delaware on that stage and contributing to that victory is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Lerner: Did you have a Lerner professor or staff member that had a big impact on your UD experience?
Parisi: Every single Lerner professor I had made a real impact on me and I mean that genuinely. I walked away from every class with knowledge I could apply immediately. A few stand out in particular. Professor Redding was someone who truly had a gift for teaching. I took two of his classes, international finance and real estate finance, and he had an amazing ability to answer every question I had in a way that made everything click. We also took a field trip to Acres Capital together which was an incredible real-world experience that brought everything we learned in the classroom to life. Professor Bao was equally incredible and pushed me to think at a higher level throughout my time at Lerner. Professor Stocker was also someone who had a massive impact on me. The things he taught me were instantly applicable and directly helped me land an incredible internship opportunity this summer in New York City. I am genuinely grateful for every single one of them.
Lerner: What does being a “Lifelong Lerner” mean to you?
Parisi: Being a Lifelong Lerner means never being satisfied with where you are and always looking for the next opportunity to learn and grow. To me it is a mindset more than anything else. I truly believe that every single experience, whether it is a success or a failure, is an opportunity to become better. Some of my greatest lessons have come from my biggest failures and I would not trade those moments for anything because they shaped who I am today.
It also means chasing uncomfortable situations instead of running from them. Growth does not happen in your comfort zone and I have learned that the hard way. Taking risks, having tough conversations and putting yourself out there even when it is scary is where real development happens. I want to carry that mindset with me long after I leave the University of Delaware because the day you stop learning is the day you stop growing.
Lerner: What advice would you give to incoming students to make the most out of their college experience?
Parisi: The best advice I could give to incoming students is to say yes to everything early on. Go to every networking event, join every club or organization that interests you and put yourself in as many rooms as possible. You never know who you are going to meet and one conversation can completely change the trajectory of your life. The relationships and connections you build at college are just as valuable as anything you learn in the classroom. Do not wait until junior or senior year to start putting yourself out there. Start day one. Introduce yourself to strangers, talk to your professors after class, show up to events even when you do not feel like it. Every single person you meet is an opportunity to learn something new, gain a new perspective, or open a door you did not even know existed. College goes by faster than you think so make the most of every single moment and never take it for granted.
Lerner: What are your plans following graduation?
Parisi: This summer I will be interning at One William Street Capital Management in New York City, a specialist credit fund, which I am incredibly excited about. It is an opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business and continue developing my finance and problem-solving skills in a real world environment. In the fall I will be heading to Johns Hopkins University to pursue my master’s in organizational leadership while also continuing my football career. I am excited to keep growing as both a leader and a student and to bring everything I have learned at Delaware with me into this next chapter. The combination of elite academic training and continuing to compete at a high level is exactly the environment I thrive in and I cannot wait to get started.