Laurenne Yomi Mvete ’25: Whitman Opportunities Help Accounting Major Navigate Obstacles, Secure Summer Internship in NYC

Accounting major Laurenne Yomi Mvete ’25 didn't always know what path she was destined to follow in the business world, but Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management helped her find it.

Mvete was certain that some area of business was her chosen destination and was encouraged by her family, who she says have an entrepreneurial mindset, to apply to a business school. Once she looked into Syracuse University as an option, Mvete never looked back.

“Once I started looking at Syracuse, it just felt so right. I was applying to other schools, but none of them captured my interest like Syracuse did. It just felt like the place for me,” Mvete says.

Mvete started out as a management major. She later joined the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and talked to students and professors who were in the accounting program, which led her to switch her major and eventually secure an internship at Deloitte in New York City.

This summer, Mvete’s internship at Deloitte is in the accounting department, and she received a grant from Syracuse University’s Internship Opportunity Fund, which provides financial support for student who need additional resources to live and work in a major city. She credits this fund for making this opportunity to live and work in New York City possible.

The Whitman School has also helped her progress in other ways. When Mvete started taking Whitman courses, she realized how important communication was to all business majors and sought out opportunities to improve her communication skills. This led her to become a Whitman ambassador.

“I wanted to get outside my comfort zone and join something where I'm practicing public speaking. As a Whitman ambassador, I'm always talking to people and improving that skill,” says Mvete.

In addition, she realized that she was having difficulty learning material as easily as other classmates, so she sought out help from her advisors and professors who put her in touch with the University’s Center for Disability Resources (CDR). She was later diagnosed with dyslexia and continues receiving support from the center and faculty members.

“I think that something special about Syracuse and Whitman is that if I have an issue with anything, there is so much support. There are so many opportunities if you need help, but you just need to know how to access them,” she says.

Mvete says that without the Whitman School, she would not be where she is today and encourages any student who is thinking of applying to the School to do so.

“My biggest reason for applying to Whitman is because it's the best investment for my future,” says Mvete. “I know that after college I'm going to have a secure job, and you can't get that same experience elsewhere.”