Natalia Jarczynska

Natalia, originally from Poland, embarked on a global education journey and completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma program in high school. 

After high school, Natalia chose the University of Derby to pursue a Business Management course, specialising in business enterprise and graduated as a top student.

Career journey

Following her graduation from the University of Derby, Natalia moved to New York to pursue a Master of Science degree in Information Technology Project Management (STEM) at New York University (NYU).

She credits her tutors at the University of Derby for their encouragement and support, which empowered her to apply to prestigious institutions like MIT, Harvard, and NYU.

During her time at NYU, she completed a winter semester at Harvard University and interned at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada as a strategic program management intern for Panasonic Energy North America (PENA). She graduated in May 2024 and promptly began her career as a senior analyst at Goldman Sachs on Wall Street. 

Professional development

During her time at the University of Derby, Natalia actively engaged in various projects and activities that contributed to her personal and professional development.

One of her standout experiences was leading Enactus Derby to the Enactus Expo competition in London in 2022. After joining the program to learn more about it, Natalia recognised the value of her experience and took on the role of acting president the following year. Under her leadership, the team participated in their first ever Enactus Expo, where Natalia received a national award for team membership. 

Futures Award Experience 

Natalia was also actively involved in developing her professional career through the Futures Award Experience.

She learned about the Futures Award through the university’s Careers and Employment Service. Despite not having prior plans to join a competition, she realised she qualified and attended an information session. Encouraged by her existing extracurricular hours, she pursued higher levels of the award. 

For the Futures Award, Natalia leveraged her significant working hours from internships and online certifications offered by the University of Derby, such as Bloomberg’s core concepts course and Google fundamentals of digital marketing. These experiences provided a holistic understanding of various business areas, enhancing her academic performance and informing her career choices. 

A key aspect of the Futures Award was an essay and presentation, which allowed Natalia to reflect on her educational journey and future career. This process helped her acknowledge her achievements, discover new hobbies and build confidence in her abilities. 

The Careers and Employment Service was instrumental in her success. The team provided career guidance, resume reviews and recommended internship opportunities that influenced her career path.

Natalia is aiming to continue her education in the next few years by completing an MBA and use the transferable skills that she developed at University of Derby further in her career.