Hey, I'm
Lucius Y. Gao
My Formative Experiences
Atlanta, GA
Truist Securities
IB Summer Analyst
Summer 2022
Having opened my eyes up to the world of finance on the buy-side, my internship in the summer of '21 inspired me to seek out opportunities that would satiate my curiosity for finance. That desire led me to the sell-side where I worked as an investment banking summer analyst for Truist Securities in their Financial Institutions coverage group at their headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Despite having to take my finals during orientation week (thanks quarter system) and the unremitting, sweltering heat, I'd do it all over again for all that I've learned and experienced. Among myriad other tasks, I had the pleasure of being on a team serving as the financial advisor in a minority equity sale to a point-of-sales lender in the medical financing space. Sitting in on and taking notes in diligence calls, understanding the models and its drivers, why certain strategies made more sense than others, and also just getting to sharpen my Excel and PowerPoint shortcuts has all been the best learning experience I could've asked for.
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I'm grateful for the people I've met along the way; especially those who were patient in fielding my questions and walking me through what was basic to them but novel to me. I aim to achieve and pay it forward as they have for me.
Hong Kong SAR
ZZ Capital International
Investment Analyst
Summer 2021
ZZ Capital International is a private equity firm based in Hong Kong, I interned there as an investment analyst in the summer of 2021. During that time I had the opportunity to experience the workflow of a transaction from start to finish. I was responsible for performing financial and operational due diligence. As I became comfortable in the role and took on more responsibility, I was given the financial and valuation models of past transactions. By tinkering around with the models I developed an understanding of how to make research-based assumptions that were integral to the LBO models they used.
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I'm grateful to have had this opportunity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did I gain valuable, real-world experience in private equity but I also got the chance to really improve my business Chinese as well as develop a deeper understanding of the Chinese financial markets. I'm looking forward to discovering and exploring my professional aspirations while also providing value wherever my journey takes me in the future.
College Park, MD
University of Maryland-Earth System Sciences Interdisciplinary Center
Summer Data Analyst
Summer 2020
After my first year at university and finishing the introductory sequence for the computer science major, I found myself interested in machine learning and legitimate, real-world applications of coding. Interning at the University of Maryland-Earth System Sciences Interdisciplinary Center was the perfect chance to explore these areas of interest. I was given the opportunity to work on linking USDA total factor productivity records to climate data. I worked with an interdisciplinary team to model projections for future agricultural outputs and discuss its economic impacts.
This internship extended far beyond just a simple software development internship. Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of environmental scientists, computer scientists, crop production specialists, and economists allowed me to understand the synergy between the seemingly unrelated fields. Given my academic interests in economics and computer science, this internship gave me the ideal opportunity to explore the intersection between the two disciplines, which has only deepened my passion for both.
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Class of 2023
2019–2023
The University of Chicago presents unprecedented scale and diversity of opportunity. As an athlete, the University of Chicago Varsity Swim and Dive team pushes me every day at practice to be better than yesterday. As a scholar, I am discovering new depths to my passions. I am currently pursuing a double major in Economics and Computer Science both specializing in Data Science. I am tremendously excited for all the experiences and friendships to come and to develop further as a scholar, athlete, and leader.
Fort Collins High School
Fort Collins, CO
Class of 2019
2015–2019
I'm tremendously grateful for my high school experience. FCHS was where I learned how to persuade and garner support for my ideas (as a board member of the National Honor Society), refined my curiosity for life, and discovered my passion for computer science as well as economics. The meaningful relationships that I developed with my teachers and peers are perhaps the greatest outcome of my high school career. Their support and guidance throughout the years have been paramount to my success as a scholar, athlete, and individual.
Fort Collins Area Swim Team
Fort Collins, CO
Athlete, Team Captain
2009–2019
The Fort Collins Area Swim Team (FAST) taught me all the necessary skills to be a high achieving individual both in and out of the water. After nine years of swimming up and down a lane staring at a black line at the bottom of the pool, I learned the value of hard work, dedication, and camaraderie. While I won't remember my personal bests in my events, I know that I will carry the "do whatever it takes" mentality and spirit of Arete with me wherever my path takes me.
