Jose “JT” Torres ’20 is not one to wait idly by for an opportunity to come along. His path to the investment operations associate job he’ll soon start at Capital Group in Irvine, Calif., began with his first visit to the Career Center — a meeting that took place even before he attended his first Hamilton class.
Torres has always been intrigued by economics. This interest began in high school when he was inspired by his father’s small business in San Francisco and the conversations they would have about the economy.
Thereafter, it was the Hamilton Career Center that propelled and helped him hone his passion. Torres met his career advisor, David Bell, during HEOP’s summer program. The experience was vital, as Torres admits, “I am a first-generation college student so I did not know things like a Career Center existed.”
Major: Economics
Hometown: Santa Rosa, Calif.
High School: Maria Carrillo High School
Torres took advantage of job shadowing opportunities, professional development workshops, and other tools available to him as a Hamilton student. He also utilized the alumni network, taking part in numerous informational interviews with alumni.
There is no doubt that such connections paid off. During the summer after his sophomore year, Torres secured a marketing internship at Paragon Real Estate Group after a networking call with Mike Annunziata ’02, and the two have maintained a close relationship. In the summer after his junior year, Torres was an asset sale intern for Optima Building Services, which he secured because the owner of the company was his club soccer coach.
During Torres’ senior fall, Bell advised him to start applying to as many full-time financial positions as he could, given the competitiveness of the industry. As a result, Torres received numerous offers from different companies, but Capital Group stood out because of its commitment to socially responsible investments.
“We live in a time where we cannot afford to ignore global issues, from socioeconomic inequalities to climate change, so it is very important to me that I work at a place that strives to be conscious of these issues and takes the correct stance,” Torres said.
When not working toward his career goals, Torres could be found on the field as a member of the Hamilton varsity soccer team. Overall, he is thankful for his experiences and the resources that influenced his time on College Hill. “My experience as a first-generation Mexican-American student has greatly influenced my time at Hamilton,” he said. “Integrating to the academic rigor level and the culture at Hamilton was challenging for me coming to the College. I feel proud to have had my abilities, intelligence, and character tested and come out ahead.”
