Mira Pande: How Curiosity Can Lead You to the Right Major

Coming into Santa Clara, I knew I wanted to pursue business, but beyond that, I did not have much clarity. My goal was to embrace every opportunity to learn with an open mind, which became the most valuable part of my journey. 

You might feel pressured to have a set plan for your future coming into college, but what I’ve learned is that your interests from high school will change. The best way to learn more about yourself is to get involved on campus early on by joining student organizations. What I love most about these groups is how willing upperclassmen at SCU are to share their experiences and offer guidance.

I am especially grateful to have joined the Santa Clara Investment Fund during my first quarter of college, where we invest real money into stocks. Once selected as a junior analyst, I went through a 10-week training program that introduced me to accounting and finance fundamentals. A key part of the experience was learning how to network through coffee chats with professionals in industries like investment banking, accounting, and consulting. Their insights gave me a perspective on potential career paths that I knew little about and helped shape my interests.

What I realized from all this is that I had a lot of preconceived notions about what I liked and didn’t like. I had always pictured accounting as just crunching numbers behind a desk, but I soon realized that it involves meaningful client interactions and strong interpersonal skills. Taking my first financial accounting class reinforced this interest. My professor had worked at a firm that I was recruiting for, and speaking with her about her experience and getting interview tips was invaluable.

Keeping an open mind is essential because you may initially feel that something isn’t the right fit, but with curiosity and exploration, your perspective can change. When I started college, I never saw myself in a technical field, but through my classes and conversations with upperclassmen, I realized how much Accounting & Information Systems interested me. Being in Silicon Valley is also a huge advantage, as the Big 4 accounting firms actively recruit from Santa Clara. The preparation and support provided through Leavey have been instrumental in helping me succeed in this field.