Lois van Weringh, BS ’23, got her first job at 12 when she started her own babysitting business in Amsterdam. First, the young entrepreneur made up flyers and posted them around her neighborhood. After a week with no leads, she started knocking on doors.

“I rang every single doorbell and said, ‘It’s me!’ I ended up getting five babysitting jobs,” van Weringh said. “I always wanted to work and pay for my own things.”

Through high school, she ran her own digital marketing business and worked as a grocery store cashier. Then she landed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as an au pair for an American family with two young boys and homes in New York, Massachusetts, and California. The position led her from the Netherlands to the states and, ultimately, to Fordham.

Despite her struggles with the English language, van Weringh managed her way through the college application process, including the written essay—the first she ever wrote in English. She committed to Fordham without stepping foot on campus, moved into her dorm herself with two suitcases in tow, and paid her way through her freshman year with her earnings.

From day one, van Weringh immersed herself in campus life. She’s been a resident assistant, freshman advising mentor, and teaching assistant for the Gabelli School’s Ground Floor class.

She also joined Fordham’s Smart Woman Securities (SWS) chapter, serving as an equity research analyst and then as chief investment officer on the executive board, training analysts and managing a $500,000 virtual portfolio. Van Weringh said she found her place in SWS. “We all want each other to succeed. It’s not a competitive environment. We know we can all succeed at the same time. That’s something I don’t think you see at other business schools.”

I wanted to take advantage of every single thing Fordham had to offer. And I did that.“

Van Weringh is among 25 finance majors selected to oversee Fordham’s $2.1 million Student Managed Fund, and she now serves as one of three managing directors. In the honors thesis program, she is one of 20 students chosen to undertake an alternative investment research project.

About her many extracurricular activities, the soon-to-be graduate said, “I wanted to take advantage of every single thing Fordham had to offer. And I did that.”

Her hard work and determination have earned her several scholarships and awards, including the Faber Award, Woolworth Award, Alpha Sigma Nu, Boyle Society, and Dean’s List with First Honors.

As her college years come to a close, the senior said it is bittersweet: she is sad to leave but ready to start her next chapter. She is grateful for the opportunities she’s had to learn and grow at the Gabelli School and for the support she’s received along the way.

“The professors really care about us,” van Weringh said. “They go out of their way to help. They just want the best for you.”