There are a few ways you could begin the story of junior Thomas Zaborenko’s path in finance.
You could start during the Covid-19 lockdown, when Zaborenko got interested in the stock market. He recalls watching sales of toilet paper and hand sanitizer soar, and thinking about how this information could translate. He followed the news closely. He taught himself the basics of using financial data to forecast future earnings.
“As I started getting more and more interested in finance, I started to look into options, into futures, into derivatives,” he recounted. “I started to get more leveraged as well. That led to some lessons learned for sure! But it also educated me. It definitely motivated me to become more dedicated to the field.”
Alternatively, you could start Zaborenko’s story with his first year at DePaul, where he enrolled as a finance major in the selective Keeley Academy. Being a Keeley scholar gave him structured exposure to career opportunities; when he switched over to a mathematics major (with a concentration in financial mathematics), Zaborenko decided to recreate some of that structure for himself. That decision led him to discover the CME Group Foundation Scholarship program.
“It was sensational. It was surreal,” Zaborenko recalled of the visit to CME Group’s headquarters. “I've traded on futures in CME markets countless times. To be in that room was emotional. It makes you feel like it was worth all the research and time you put into it. Like it all paid off.”
The City of Chicago itself offers a third possible beginning point for Zaborenko’s story: for what sparked his passion for finance, and for what keeps that passion alive.
“I’m really glad I chose DePaul, because the city is a motivator in and of itself,” he said. “I love walking down Jackson to campus. It makes me more motivated to be in the moment: to appreciate where I am, how I got here, and what I can be in the future.”
Speaking of how Zaborenko got to this point: one could go back even further and start his story with his family, which has undergone more than its fair share of struggles. His mother hails from a small town in Russia; his father, from Kiev, Ukraine.
“One of my favorite parts” of the visit to the CME Group’s headquarters, Zaborenko says, was meeting with the other scholars. “People’s families are from all over the world. It was amazing hearing about everyone’s families and their cultures.”
As Zaborenko looks ahead, he is eager to pursue the career opportunities available through the CME Group Foundation scholarship. He is especially excited about quantitative roles in areas like portfolio management and risk management.
As for where he stands now? Zaborenko’s biggest takeaway is the power of connection.
“The relationships you build are always beneficial,” he reflected. “If you are nice to others, if you create this network, especially in Chicago, it shoots you far — in your career and in your life.”
This story is part of a series on four DePaul students who earned a prestigious, $20,000 scholarship from the CME Group Foundation. Read the other scholars' stories here.