VICTORIA LONDON SCHOLARSHIP
Victoria London passed away in 2014 after a courageous battle with ALS. Victoria received her Master’s in Engineering and Business Administration at Columbia University and was the first woman ever admitted to Columbia’s Chemical Engineering Society, Phi Lambda Epsilon.
In 1974, Victoria moved to Key Biscayne and became part of the community. It is through her passion and generosity that future generations will pursue degrees and their own passions and, in doing so honor the incredible legacy of Victoria London.
Congratulations to the 2022-23 Recipients
Harsha Balakrishnan
Class of 2023
Hometown
Chennai, India
Education
Anna University | BE, Mechanical Engineering
What impact has this award made on your Columbia Business School experience?
Having financial backing has helped subsidize my wife and I to move to New York from India. It has helped me worry a little less about the financial burden of loans and focus more on extracting the maximum from my Business School experience. I have been able to focus more on the wonderful courses CBS has to offer, professional networking within the global CBS community, and making lifelong friends. The financial support has also let me pursue my longer term entrepreneurship goals by taking on shorter term projects that will help me close gaps in my skill sets.
What did you enjoy most about your first year, and what you are looking forward to this year and post-graduation?
I enjoyed opening up my mind and learning a lot of new topics including business analytics, finance and negotiations. I had the opportunity to make some great friends and build relationships with them and identify the ones I really cared about. I spent my summer working in a fintech company, something I have always wanted to do, and learned a lot from my team and colleagues. I look forward to continued learning, spending time with my friends, giving back to CBS by helping out the first years and paying it forward.
Remi Banaga
Class of 2023
Hometown
Edea, Cameroon
Education
University of Yaounde | MSc, Mechanical Engineering
What impact has this award made on your Columbia Business School experience?
I am very grateful to have been selected as the recipient of your very generous donation. Without this support, it would not have been possible for me to afford the cost of the MBA degree. Thanks to your generosity, I can attend an elite institution like CBS and live in New York City without worrying too much about finances. It removes a significant burden that would otherwise negatively impact my experience. With my student budget covered, I have divided my MBA experience in two buckets: academic and social. On the academic side, my career objective is to transition into infrastructure and climate finance. My background in energy has shaped my interest in climate change and the energy transition.
What did you enjoy most about your first year, and what you are looking forward to this year and post-graduation?
My highlight last year was organizing a group trip to Tanzania with 25 classmates. I had always wanted to go to Tanzania. My first project when I started my first job was in Tanzania, but I never had the opportunity to
visit. During our 8-day journey, we traveled across the Northern Safari Circuit, through the Tarangire and Serengeti national parks as well as the Ngorongora Crater. For the second part of the trip, we travelled to Zanzibar and did a tour of the historic city. The journey ended in Dar-es-Salaam with a visit of curio shops and the turtle sanctuary. In addition to being an amazing experience, one that is talked about by my classmates as one of the best business school trips, it was also a leadership discovery experience for me.
Lily Jumean
Class of 2023
Hometown
Washington, DC
Education
Barnard College | BA Economics
What impact has this award made on your Columbia Business School experience?
I am extremely grateful for your support, as it has been instrumental in both my first and second year regarding financing and being able to explore other career options. I have been able to gain a wide variety of experience in various industries from private equity, venture capital, consumer goods, and healthcare. Furthermore, I am excited to be able to also give back to the CBS community as this scholarship has helped me. I have also been able to embark on travel through my courses. This includes school trips through the Chazen Institute for international exposure, as well as local trips to aid business organizations in the US. I am grateful to be a student at CBS and receive some aid as part of this journey. Without the additional funds, it may not have been as seamless of a transition for me.
What did you enjoy most about your first year, and what you are looking forward to this year and post-graduation?
I enjoyed being able to explore different clubs, meet other students, and connect with alumni. I am also very grateful for the opportunity to try new industries and consider career options that were not available for me prior to business school. What I am most excited for post graduation is to have gained a wide range of experiences, personally and professionally, and use the skills I developed in business school through my classes. This summer I was able to try a new industry (private equity) and whilst I enjoyed that experience, I am excited to try something different after graduation, using my second year to continue networking to find an opportunity that fits what I am looking for full time.
Yaneli Rubio
Class of 2023
Hometown
Friendswood, Texas
Education
The University of Texas at Austin | B.B.A. Marketing
What impact has this award made on your Columbia Business School experience?
The first year was a whirlwind of classes and meeting so many different people. Most notably, I appreciated the out-of-class opportunity to help a local NYC non-profit that provides financial literacy education to Latinx, immigrant communities in the NYC metro area through CBS’s Nonprofit Board Leadership program. This helped further validate my interest in applying my skillset to help public sector organizations sustainably support the communities they serve. Your support has made an incredible difference in my career and life too, as in the midst of all these experiences I’ve developed some wonderful new friendships. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity the pursue these diverse and unique experiences.
What did you enjoy most about your first year, and what are you looking forward to this year and post-graduation?
Your support has allowed me to mentor students like me, deeply pursue a subject which has long been an interest of mine, and plan for some great adventures while at CBS. During this second year, I have further connected with and supported fellow first-generation Hispanic American students as co-president of CBS’s Hispanic
Business Association. Furthermore, this fall I participated in a 12-credit seminar and practicum at the Columbia Law School diving into the history and governance of K-12 US public education. I did this alongside 30 classmates from the law school, policy school, and teacher’s college. Finally, I am taking advantage of various programs organized by CBS Chazen Institute, including backpacking in Chilean Patagonia and traveling to Tunisia.