Meet Peter Castro '23 | First Finance Graduate

I decided to study at Hood College because of its strong business school and closeness to my hometown. My favorite aspect of Hood is the size. Through my time at Hood, I have made great connections with my professors and the broader business community because of how closeknit Hood is.

I began a fascination with stock and financial markets in middle school, when I had a project of tracking a few companies over the semester. In college, this interest grew, and the promising job market in finance solidified my decision to pursue a degree in it.

My biggest challenge was staying motivated to remain serious about school, especially during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I overcame this by maintaining a long-term mindset and kept focusing on the end goal of graduating and the career potential available as a finance major.

My proudest achievement (albeit not a super difficult one) has been switching my major from business to the new finance major. Paving the way as Hood’s first finance major is definitely a cool feeling.

My advice for a future finance student: stay motivated by researching career opportunities in finance and finding something that excites you. That way, when you are discouraged or having a difficult time with a class, you’ll be motivated to keep pursuing it.

My plan after graduation is to begin working full time as a financial analyst/asset manager for a commercial real estate investment firm based in Rockville, MD.

Learn more about the finance program.