Yarelys Tifa, Class of 2011

A graduate of Hartford's prestigious Academy of Math and Science, Yarelys Tifa knew from her days in high school that she had an interest in things that were hands-on. While she at first considered the Business major when she arrived at UConn, Yarelys determined that a major in Resource Economics with a minor in Spanish was the best fit for her goals and timetable, and that its flexibility to fit her interests meant that she could take the classes that she wanted to take.

“I like to see how things work in the real world”, she said. She especially enjoyed Price Analysis and Futures Trading with Dr. Lopez where students team up and compete in a game to buy and sell shares of oil stocks. “When you get to play with stocks and see how numbers change—real numbers, not just what's in the textbook—you can get more of a grasp on what you're learning,” she said.

In summer 2010 Yarelys had her own taste of the real world when she completed an internship at Otis Elevator Corporation in Farmington. Far from being a run-of-the-mill experience, the internship has furthered her interest in sales and allowed her to see what a career in the field would be like.

“Otis has challenged me and the whole experience has been great. They've had me go out in the field and get real-world experience. I love it! I really have had my work cut out for me,” she said.

Following graduation in May, Yarelys joined OTIS's sales representative trainee program and hopes to eventually manage her own sales district.