Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Neelam Deepak hails from a middle-class family.
“We lived from hand to mouth,” she said.
In Pakistan, women are expected to get married and start a family, not pursue higher education. However, Deepak has managed to carve a pathway in finance with the support of her father, a realtor who has encouraged his five daughters to earn at least a bachelor’s. Deepak completed two degrees from Iqra University, located in her hometown: a B.B.A. in 2016 and an MBA in finance in 2018.
Deepak was initially interested in human resources and marketing. But an internship at a bank uncovered her passion for finance.
“I was working in the lending department, and it opened my eyes to how connected every sector is to the banking industry,” she said. “I explored the oil and textile fields, and learned about inflation and a country’s gross domestic product.”
Deepak relocated to the United States in 2022 after her husband enrolled in Robinson’s M.S. in Finance program. She decided to further her education at Robinson, too, and began her MBA studies in August 2024. A graduate assistant position has greatly offset the tuition.
“Through an exciting project with the administrative director of Robinson’s Ph.D. program, I am gathering data on doctoral students dating back to the 1980s and tracking their career outcomes,” she said.
So far, Deepak is particularly impressed by her financial statement analysis class with Douglas Stevens. The course covers the basics but also allows students to independently dive deeper.
“Class time is limited,” she said. “If the instructor solved every problem for us, we wouldn’t develop critical thinking skills.”
Looking ahead, Deepak aims to secure a role in a consulting or advisory firm, particularly in mergers and acquisitions.