As a member of the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics’ Class of 2020, Paige Crandall from Scotch Plains, New Jersey has not had the typical final semester or commencement at UD due to the coronavirus outbreak. She, and her entire class, have shown incredible resilience, maturity and spirit while adjusting to the many unexpected changes that they have encountered.
In this profile, Crandall, a finance major with a minor in business analytics, shared her favorite UD memories, how she has changed during her time at UD and her plans following graduation.
Crandall was nominated for this series by Associate Professor of management and Co-director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative Amanda Bullough, who said, “Ms. Crandall is an outstanding student that has won awards in finance twice: the 2019 Outstanding Finance Junior Award and 2020 Finance Faculty Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award. I’ve known her since she was a freshman.
“In the spring of 2016, the Women’s Leadership Initiative co-hosted a panel and networking event, along with Lerner Career Services and Development and Alumni Relations,” Bullough continued. “Paige was a freshman and caught my attention when she walked up to Jill Gugino Pante (director of Lerner Career Services) and me at the networking portion of the event, stuck out a firm handshake, and said, ‘Hi, I’m Paige Crandall. I’m a freshman in finance…’ We chatted for a few minutes, and when she walked away. I turned to Jill and said, ‘Wow, that was impressive professionalism and networking skills for a freshman!’ Jill agreed completely.
“The next day, I received a LinkedIn request and a thank you email from Paige. When I told Jill how impressed I was, she replied, ‘You should hire her!’ I did exactly that, and Paige has been a wonderful student assistant to me for three years, from her sophomore through senior year,” Bullough concluded. “I sincerely miss her already, and am beyond proud of the professional in finance that she has already become. She will continue to make Lerner proud for years to come.”
Q: How do you think you have changed from your first semester at UD to now?
Crandall: From my first semester at UD to now, I have grown to understand myself in new ways. I have a much better understanding of who I am now and who I want to be in the future.
Q: What is your favorite place at UD?
Crandall: My favorite place at UD is The Green. It is why I fell in love with the school all those years ago, and it is my favorite place to sit on a nice day.
Q: What is the most memorable course that you took at Lerner?
Crandall: The most memorable course that I took at Lerner was BUAD110 with Professor Sivaraman. The projects we did were really interesting, and I made a lot of friends. My group was lucky enough to go to the finals for the 30-second pitch competition at the end of the semester. BUAD110 left me with many memorable experiences as just a first-semester freshman.
Q: What was your favorite signature UD experience?
Crandall: My favorite signature UD experience was being a part of the Women in Business Club. I have been on the executive board for the organization since my freshman year so I have been able to watch it grow. The experience taught me valuable leadership skills and allowed me to meet new people.
Q: What does being a “Lifelong Lerner” mean to you?
Crandall: Being a “Lifelong Lerner” means that I should maintain my curiosity to learn new things even after my academic career is finished. As I continue to learn new things, I want to remember where I came from and be a mentor to share all that I have learned along the way.
Q: What are your plans following graduation?
Crandall: I will begin my career with JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York City, New York. I am joining the Corporate Analyst Development Program, a two-year rotational program with concentrations in analytics, project management and process improvement.