Nicholas Sabia (BSM '25)

Name: Nicholas (Nico) Sabia 

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois 

Major: Finance 

Minor: Legal Studies in Business

Post Graduation Plans: I will work at Lincoln International in New York City as an analyst in the Transaction Opinions Group.  

Freeman Activities: Wall Street Krewe (President), Burkenroad Reports (Investment Research Manager), Dean’s List (Fall 2021, Spring 2023, Spring 2024).

Favorite Business Course: Burkenroad Reports.

Favorite Business Professor: My favorite business professor is Professor Larry Merington, a Bachelor of Science in Management Capstone course professor. Professor Merington is a retired Colonel of the Air Force, a distinguished Executive, and an active member of the Freeman School Faculty. Professor Merington has become a mentor through his course, teaching me the ways to tackle challenging business cases through case studies, public speaking opportunities, and a distinct outside-of-the-classroom engagement that I was able to work on. 

Professor Merington assigned my group and me a case study to revive a beloved Bourbon Brand and tasked us with working with local distilleries, engaging with International Spirits Companies and trusted advisors to devise a plan to bring back this discontinued brand. I was able to build a relationship with a local CEO of a spirits brand and executives of one of the largest private spirits brands through Professor Merington’s course. Professor Merington gave his time and energy to ensure our class understood and mastered the essential skills for a successful career in business: how to make an effective presentation, tackle complex problems, perform financial analysis, and work effectively with a team. Professor Merington treated us as business professionals, allowing us to fail and building us up to emerge from the course as well-spoken, well-equipped graduates. I am incredibly grateful for the course Professor Merington put together, his teaching style, and the faith he placed in us to take on a challenge outside the classroom.  

Academic, extracurricular or personal achievement you're most proud of: The achievement I am most proud of is being President of Wall Street Krewe, an Undergraduate Finance Club at Tulane Freeman School. The club was small and growing when I applied for this position. I saw immense potential in engaging business students with employers, mentors, and workshops to build their confidence and knowledge and set them up for successful careers.

I jumped right in my senior year, and through successful student panels, employer information sessions with firms such as Blackstone and Ernst & Young, and collaboration with the Career Center, the club has grown to about 150 active members. I am most proud of this Presidency because I have had the chance to give back to the school and support younger students in one of the most critical and challenging parts of their undergraduate education: securing internships and, ultimately, a job. With a wide range of careers in finance available, I sought to illuminate the various parts of finance and arm students with the knowledge and self-confidence to engage with employers, build their networks, and prepare for recruitment processes. I have grown as a leader and a public speaker and have become an engaged student leader in the Freeman School, which I am very proud of.  

Top items on professional bucket list: A short-term goal on my professional bucket list is to balance what is rumored to be a grueling early career with my other priorities, including my mental and physical health, social life, and relationships. 

In the long term, I want to reach a point in my career where I have something to teach others, whether through teaching at a Business School, lecturing, or giving back to my university by offering advice and insights, just as many Tulane alums have done for me.  

Fun Fact: I ran a half marathon for fun one Sunday morning last Fall.