Roosevelt student from Fox River Grove selected as prestigious business fellow

Three Northwest suburban residents studying business and finance at Roosevelt University have been selected for the University's prestigious Clearing Corporation Charitable Foundation Fellows Program.

Edgar Leon, 24, of Fox River Grove, Roshni Patel, 20, of Des Plaines, and Krishma Sharma, 27, of Schaumburg are among 10 undergraduate students selected from Roosevelt's Heller College of Business as foundation fellows for 2017-18.

Each has a dream of entering a career in the financial workplace, a goal that the Fellows program, which is now in its third year at Roosevelt, is helping to make possible.

"The program has given me opportunities to network, build my resume and take workshops that are increasing my knowledge about the world of finance," said Edgar Leon, a 2011 graduate of Barrington High School, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, the son of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to go to college.

"The fellowship program has helped me to grow as a student," added Roshni Patel, a 2015 graduate of Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois and the daughter of immigrants from India who recently moved with her family to Des Plaines.

Started in 2015, the CCCF Fellows program at Roosevelt has long-term goals of promoting diversity in the financial workplace, and helping primarily first generation college students to achieve their dreams.

"I've had a lot of opportunities to network and meet with professionals in my field. This is a program that has helped me to bring the best of my abilities to the forefront," added Patel.

Made possible by the Clearing Corporation Charitable Foundation, which initially gave $262,136 to start and sustain the initiative, the Fellows Program recently received a $1.04 million gift from the foundation to continue its operation through 2022.

"Our aim is to see more diversity in the financial sector workforce," said David Johnson, a Clearing Corporation Charitable Foundation board member and longtime supporter of Roosevelt University. "After watching this program and its commitment to underserved communities and populations, we are pleased to pave the way for its continuation full-speed ahead."

Tanweer Hasan a Roosevelt finance & accounting professor and the founding executive director of the Fellows program, said he has high hopes for the program now and in the future.

"We believe this initiative can be a launching pad for all of our fellows to achieve their goals," said Hasan. "Thanks to the foundation gift, we will also be able to transform the current initiative into a new business honors program, beginning in the fall of 2018."

Besides workshops and training, the program provides opportunities to connect with mentors and to do internships with financial firms in accounting, insurance, trading and other areas.

Krishma, a 2009 graduate of Schaumburg High School, currently is seeking an internship that will fit into her busy schedule. "I want an experience that will further me as a professional in the field of finance," she said.

Other 2017-18 CCCF Fellows from Roosevelt's Heller College of Business include:

• Rita Avdiu of Pristina, Kosovo

• Bridget Cascio of Westchester, Illinois

• Lisa Hess of Elmwood Park, Illinois

• Balint Hodos, of Telford, United Kingdom

• Patrycja Kobeszko of Bialystok, Poland

• Brenda Munoz of Chicago

• Jake Myers of Fayetteville, Arkansas