Written By: Talia Sacks (W’24)

*Interviews modified for comprehension purposes

Rhea Nangia

Where are you from?

I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

What is your major/concentration?

I'm studying finance and business analytics.

When did you join WW, and what did you do?

I joined my first Wharton Women committee in the spring of 2018 – the Dollar Diva committee. Then, in the fall of that year I led our Financial Literacy Tutoring Committee. For the 2019 calendar year, I was the VP of Philanthropy, and then for the 2020 calendar year I served as the WW President.

What do you love most about WW?

It's hard to name just one thing, but I think I've met some of my closest friends because of how involved I was. It's been a huge support system and community for me and I really can't imagine going through Penn without all the people I've met through the club.

What are you doing once you graduate?

I am working in healthcare investment banking.

Favorite dining hall and dining hall meal?

Wow, that’s a really long time ago! Let's see... I’d probably say the Hill pasta station.

Best happy hour?

Sampan if you want to go into Center City; Walnut Street has happy hour on Saturday if you want to stay in University City.

Top 3 Philly restaurants?

El Vez - anyone who knows me knows I go there all the time; Suraya; Little Nonna’s.

Your go-to food when you need to stress-eat?

Probably just some type of Mexican food.

Best advice you received at college from a friend/parent/professor?

I think as cliche as it sounds, know that things are gonna work out. Don't just do something because everyone else is doing it. I think for me, I always knew I liked health care, and then my sophomore year rolled around and I told myself that I was just going to take any job I can get. I was going to work in finance because that’s what everyone else was doing. I was ready to just take whatever job or whatever internship I could get, even though this wasn’t the industry I was passionate about. So I think not losing sight of that is really important. It's definitely hard at times, but you'll find that eventually you'll be happier if you just do that.

Favorite class relating to your major?

OIDD 245 for business analytics. For finance, I liked impact investing because it's a different type of finance class and a little bit more broad.

Favorite class not related to your major/school?

Intro to Buddhism.

Best study spot on/near campus?

Anywhere in Huntsman – I’d do anything to be back there. I like the forum a lot too. The best spot outside would probably be those tables in front of the Huntsman building.

When you become rich and famous what building are you going to donate to Penn?

I have a coffee obsession, so probably some sort of really cool study space that has really good coffee.

Amanda Lewis

Where are you from?

I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio.

What is your major/concentration?

I'm majoring in Management and Finance. I also have a minor in French and Francophone Studies.

When did you join WW, and what did you do?

I first joined Wharton Women in the spring of my freshman year and I was on the Corporate Relations committee. I literally wrote about Wharton Women in my college application to Wharton so it was like a dream come true when I actually got to be a part of the club and meet the women who ran it. In my sophomore year, I decided to apply for a board position and I ended up becoming the VP of University Relations. I then got to stay on the board for another year and be the VP of Corporate Relations myself. But Wharton Women has been a huge part of my college experience ever since freshman spring and even before that when I wrote about it.

What do you love most about WW?

I think ultimately it comes down to the inclusivity and just how willing the people within the community are to help you. In my freshman year, I really started to feel the intensity of the Wharton Culture and Wharton Women would always just feel like such a safe space with no judgment. For someone like me who came from a small public school, I also remember being super intimidated by Wharton, but then through Wharton Women, and the connections I was making, I started to find my place and people within Wharton. It made me feel like I do belong here and I can do well here and it just made a world of difference for me.

What are you doing once you graduate?

I'm going to be living in Chicago and I'm going to be working as a consultant which I'm excited about. I’ll be working in the retail practice of a firm, and I'm excited because I feel like it's going to help me get a step closer to exactly what I want to do.

Favorite dining hall and dining hall meal?

It's not exactly a meal, but one of my best friends from freshman year and I created something called a ‘College Kids Mocha.’ We would use the free dining hall coffee and then put a hot chocolate packet in it and felt very innovative.

Best happy hour?

Probably between Copa and Distrito or any place with margs.

Top 3 Philly restaurants?

One of my favorite restaurants is called Marathon Grill because they have cookie dough pancakes and serve them all day. I also just went to this place called El Merkury and they have the most incredible churros and they would serve them with soft serve. I know this is probably kind of basic, but I did finally get to go to Zahav which was incredible. I also love &pizza, and it’s the number one thing I'm worried about missing when I leave the East Coast.

Your go-to food when you need to stress-eat?

Anything sweet!

Best advice you received at college from a friend/parent/professor ?

I think the best advice that I ever received was actually from my dad. At one point, I was kind of struggling with all the pressures of not really having a clear idea of what I wanted to go into at Penn, and I felt that I was being told and shaped to go down a specific path. When I spoke to my dad about it, he told me that I didn't go to Wharton to be told what to do, I went to Wharton so that I could do whatever I wanted. This really stuck with me and empowered me to go after what I really thought was best for me.

Favorite class relating to your major?

Negotiations, I absolutely recommend it.

Favorite class not related to your major/school?

Grit Lab by Angela Duckworth - it’s incredible, that class changed my life.

Best study spot on/near campus?

I really loved working in the forum and Huntsman when it was open. I also really love to work outside anytime that I could. I also love the Quiet Study Room (QSR) in Huntsman!

When you become rich and famous what building are you going to donate to Penn?

Something related to wellness with lots of big windows. It could be used for meetings or studying and there would be food all the time. I would want a place with just good vibes because I feel like Penn students have so much intensity and stress in their lives all the time, and it would be nice to have a beautiful space that people could use to relax or work.

Senior Spotlights: Rhea Nangia & Amanda Lewis