Jenna Gonzales | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds
Jenna Gonzales
Bachelor of Arts in Economics, ’20
Master of Science in Economics & Policy Analysis ’21
Minor in Geography
Hometown:
Orland Park, Ill.
When do you expect to graduate?
I expect to graduate this spring in June 2020. I will be continuing at DePaul in the
Combined Bachelor's and Master's Degree Program in Economics & Policy Analysis.
What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
I love hanging out with my pitbull, Miso. I like taking her on walks to the park and making her snacks.
Tell us about your internship experience.
I was a Commercial Banking Intern at Huntington National Bank. One of my economics professors (Laura Owen) emailed me about the position and passed my information along to her connection. I had a lot of the same responsibilities as a credit analyst, meaning I analyzed data from clients' financial statements and other documents about company performance to evaluate their credit worthiness. The internship program also incorporated a group project proposing a solution to college recruiting that I presented with my group members in Columbus, Ohio to executives at the bank.
Do you have any tips or advice to other students about getting an internship?
What has helped me get both my internship and on-campus positions were my relationships with my professors. Professors have a lot of connections and want to see their students succeed.
Are you currently working?
I have a few on-campus positions. First, I am a research assistant to Laura Owen in the Economics Department, where I search through and collect data from online newspaper archives and create maps. I am also a research assistant for Reading Chicago Reading which is a digital humanities project. I am working on maps that capture visitor engagement at each branch of the Chicago Public Library. This quarter, I started as a teaching assistant for ECO 375: Introduction to Econometrics, offering academic assistance to students. I also work at the library's Research Help Desk as a peer research tutor. I recently analyzed data about the trends and types of questions asked at the Help Desk.
What has been your favorite economics class so far?
The economics class that I enjoyed the most was ECO 376: Time Series Analysis. Although it was difficult, I enjoyed expanding my data analysis skills and knowledge.
Micro or macro?
Generally, I enjoy micro more than macro. For example, one of my research projects was about understanding how the supply of supermarkets impacts health in Chicago, and my senior thesis explores the extent to which race is considered in financial institutions' mortgage granting decisions.
What kind of job do you hope to get after graduation?
After graduation, I hope to get a job where I can use my data analysis and mapping skills to conduct policy-related research.
Why did you choose to major in economics?
I enjoy being an economics major because it is such a versatile field of study and has helped to develop both my quantitative and critical thinking skills.