The Rising Scholar
Pforzheimer Honors College student Debra Perlman 鶹ý21 has been extremely busy in her time here at Pace. She鶹ýs been part of the first-year and second-year honor societies, Alpha Lambda Delta and Lambda Sigma, a member of the Pace Women in Tech organization, a participant in Pace鶹ýs NYC Design Factory, and even a 2019 Forbes Under 30 Summit scholar鶹ýnot to mention her internships with major companies.
Before all of that success, though, she told us that she鶹ýs always had her eye on attending Pace. 鶹ýI had been interested in Pace since I was a freshman in high school,鶹ý Perlman explained. 鶹ýI ended up visiting campus multiple times. Each time, I had this feeling, like this is where I belong and this is where I need to be.鶹ý She met extensively with staff members from the Admission team, Seidenberg, and the Honors College, which further solidified her decision to attend.
Originally, Perlman chose to major in computer science, but she was struggling to learn code in high school. 鶹ýThough I still wanted to go into computing, I also had an interest in business, as I was planning to and already pursued marketing, accounting, and other business-oriented classes,鶹ý she explained. She attended a Pace Admitted Students Day event with this in mind, and spoke to a staff member from Seidenberg about her interests. That鶹ýs when she found out about a different major. 鶹ýInformation systems combines two of my favorite subjects and passions鶹ýtechnology and business鶹ýinto a degree program that is perfect for me,鶹ý Perlman said.
She took those passions all the way to the top: along with three of her fellow Seidenberg students, Perlman attended the 2019 Forbes Under 30 Summit as a scholar. There, she got the chance to network with other like-minded peers and attend several panels, one of which left a lasting impression on her. 鶹ý[It was] about social media influencers and design in the media,鶹ý she explained. 鶹ýAt that time, I was apprehensive about my own social media and public media endeavors, but seeing this panel [...] gave me the new perspective that social media isn鶹ýt all about the likes, it鶹ýs about the engagement with others, and showing them and yourself your passion.鶹ý Since then, Perlman told us she felt empowered to post more about fashion on her social media, and gain followers 鶹ýorganically over time.鶹ý .
But Perlman鶹ýs ambition didn鶹ýt stop there! She鶹ýs also interned for two major (and very different) companies: Mount Sinai and 1-800-FLOWERS. 鶹ýThis was my first ever job,鶹ý she said of the Mount Sinai position, where she filed claims for a government project concerning hospital expenses. 鶹ýMy small team had to file millions of these claims in a short time,鶹ý Perlman told us, going on to explain that her coworkers 鶹ýtook me under their wing鶹ý to explain the ropes of the job and the industry. 鶹ýWorking there was an experience that changed my life, giving me both life and corporate skills.鶹ý
Her internship in the marketing department for 1-800-FLOWERS was more 鶹ýtechnology and project management-based,鶹ý she said. 鶹ýI was responsible for many tasks including email marketing tasks, website QA (quality assurance), assisting in managing offshore developer tasks, daily sales reporting, and [more].鶹ý Perlman said the office environment was very inclusive, and the team made great efforts to involve their group of interns in many activities. Her advice to students looking to get the most out of their job opportunities? Ask for help.
鶹ýI know that asking for help, especially for me at first, was embarrassing, and I felt like I did not want to bother my managers. But I learned it is more efficient to ask for help rather than have to [redo] a task or have it taken away. Asking for help no matter when I needed it is one important reason why I was so successful.鶹ý
Wise words that will surely carry Perlman through to her next incredible opportunity. We can鶹ýt wait to hear what she pursues next!