Hailing from Surat, India, Ravin Dawer (McIntire ’20) says the words of his grandfather are responsible for instilling values in him that have remained top of mind for the fourth-year student—values that he insists not only align with his career aspirations but with those of the McIntire School as well.
Dawer’s grandfather asserted that there must be a much greater impetus to running a business than the mere pursuit of wealth: “We have to dream to build an institution that promotes positive change.”
Since high school, Dawer has been passionate about finance. He saw the Commerce School as offering avenues to transformative learning experiences that would help him take his ideas to places where he could make the most impact.
Looking back on his time at McIntire, he says that the School’s holistic approach toward the world of business was exactly what he was seeking. Dawer notes that the “purposeful teamwork and integrated sessions” were supported by the community of students who are open to new possibilities, discussion, debate, and constructive criticism.
Concentrating in Finance and Information Technology while completing a minor in Psychology at the College, he’s spending his free time in Charlottesville, exercising regularly, trying his hand at cooking (thanks to tips from friends), and spending every other day videoconferencing with his family in India.
After graduation, Dawer will be joining Nomura Securities International in the financial holding company’s New York office as an Analyst. But before he does, we asked how this semester has played out for him in the online environment.
Since your courses moved online, what’s been the most notable moment you’ve had?
The transition to online classes has been really smooth! So far, my most memorable experience has been working with my teammates and presenting our investment pitch idea on Wyndham Destinations along to some recent McIntire grads who joined us as guest judges for our “Valuation & Restructuring” class with Professor David C. Smith.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned at the Comm School that is helping you to navigate some aspect of your life or learning during the current situation?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned at McIntire is to never give up. My mother always says, “Ravin, every single event is a possibility instead of a problem. Life will throw the most unexpected things at you, but you always have a choice! You can either use the situation to make yourself stronger for the future, or you can sit and feel helpless.” I only came to understand the true meaning of this during my time at Comm School.
While taking some of the most challenging McIntire classes, working on complex projects with my peers, or feeling worn out, I always thought back to this phrase and kept moving forward. Soon enough, I started seeing the positive results. With this mindset, I ended up doing really well in all my courses and also built strong bonds with all my teammates.
This lesson has changed my outlook towards life, and it has also helped me navigate some of the most challenging situations in my life, including dealing with the current coronavirus situation.
