Anastasiya Shypulina
Summer Student Story
I’m leaving with greater confidence in the direction I want to pursue, inspiring conversations with people from around the world, and even more motivation to continue learning and challenging myself.
As an undergraduate student in Management and Technology at the Technical University of Munich, one of Europe's leading universities, I have always striven for excellence. With prior knowledge of and a passion for finance through various internships across different areas of the industry, I was still searching for my sweet spot within this broad field. When I joined HEC Paris for the Summer Program in Investment Banking and International Finance, my main goal was to explore this direction as a future career path, while also being curious about what it is like to study at the world’s best business school.
Throughout the program, we didn’t just discuss financial concepts, we applied them! From building company valuations to exploring the IPO process and understanding how companies raise capital, every day brought a new challenge and a new perspective! The highlight of the program was undoubtedly our final project: preparing and presenting a buy-side acquisition pitch. It was exciting to combine valuation, strategic thinking, and storytelling into a recommendation, much like professionals do in real transactions!
But beyond the technical knowledge, this journey taught me something even more valuable. The power of learning by doing! The case discussions, teamwork, and guidance from experts, including Olivier Levyne, Alice Roux, and Cyril Paolantoni, created an environment where curiosity was encouraged, questions were welcomed, and every challenge became an opportunity to grow. Through this hands-on approach, I also gained a unique perspective on how business schools differ from traditional universities - more practical, more collaborative, and more closely connected to industry realities!
It’s also mportant to mention campus life. There was a perfect balance between studying and free time, while the HEC Academy helped you embrace French culture and encouraged natural networking.
Looking back, I’m leaving Paris with much more than stronger technical skills. I’m leaving with greater confidence in the future direction I want to pursue, inspiring conversations with people from around the world, and even more motivation to continue learning and challenging myself!
I would recommend joining HEC Paris to anyone wishing to pursue their own adventure, whether you’re a student or a young professional, are interested in the business school setting, or want to explore potential career opportunities. Reflecting on my stay at HEC Paris, I can confidently say that it was a true game changer.