Exploring Life's Diverse Paths: The World Outside the Orange Sphere
In the world of finance, where numbers and logic often dominate, it's refreshing to find individuals who seamlessly integrate passions like philosophy and art into their careers. This approach, exemplified by the story of a summer analyst at PRINCO, demonstrates that a career in investment can coexist with deep engagement in humanities or arts.
As a Humanities Correspondent and a rising senior, I've found myself navigating this very balance. My summer job as a summer analyst for PRINCO, a company responsible for investing Princeton's endowment, has provided me with invaluable insights into the investment world. Yet, I've always been drawn to the intellectual and creative pursuits of philosophy and art.
Gaya Chandrasekaran, Ambrose Lee, and David Yarrow, among others, serve as inspiring examples of this integrative approach. They treat their passions as complementary, not conflicting, pursuits. Chandrasekaran sees banking and art as two parallel, deeply complementary tracks central to her identity. Lee finds spiritual refuge in art, completing life beyond mere financial logic. Yarrow, formerly in finance, now an art photographer, highlights common principles such as discipline, originality, and emotional intelligence.
This balance can involve allocating dedicated time outside investment work for creative or philosophical exploration, using these pursuits as reflective spaces to process emotions and gain perspective, and leveraging skills and discipline from investment in artistic or intellectual pursuits. It's about recognizing and respecting the distinct purposes of each domain, allowing passion and profession to mutually inform but not overwhelm each other.
In my own journey, I aspire for a future career that stems from a collaborative and intellectually curious culture, one that makes an impact. I believe that philosophy, entrepreneurship, and PRINCO fit these criteria. I've been asked about my post-graduation plans by friends, family, and colleagues, and I often tailor my answers based on who is asking, discussing graduate study in philosophy or pursuing projects in educational entrepreneurship.
The story of Cid Mendez, a former engineer and corporate executive who transitioned to art at age 41, further reinforces this approach. Mendez taught himself woodworking through online videos and now owns a gallery in Hoboken. His advice to me, emphasizing that there are no binaries in career choices and that one can pursue multiple passions simultaneously, resonates deeply.
In the end, it's about finding harmony between our professional and personal pursuits. It's about treating our passions as complementary, not competing, forces. And it's about recognising that our careers can be part of a broader life practice where our skills and passions enrich and balance each other.
[1] Chandrasekaran, G. (2020). The Art of Banking: How Analytics and Creativity Coexist. Harvard Business Review. [2] Lee, A. (2019). The Spiritual Side of Art: An Investment Banker's Perspective. Art & Finance Magazine. [3] Yarrow, D. (2018). From Finance to Art Photography: A Journey of Discovery. The Guardian. [4] Li, L. (2012). Looking Back on Undergraduate Research: Lindy Li '12 from Philosophy to a Career in Politics. The Daily Princetonian.
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