For Akiva Lind '26, an interest in business wasn't sparked by a single defining moment. Instead, it developed through curiosity, classroom experiences, and a willingness to embrace new challenges. Today, that curiosity has grown into a passion for strategy and finance, one that will take him to Boston Consulting Group after graduation.

Lind's journey began during his sophomore year at Wesleyan, when two economics courses, Intro to Accounting and Money, Banking, and Financial Markets, introduced him to the mechanics of business. "I really enjoyed learning how to read companies' financial statements, as well as the big-picture view of how financial markets work as a whole," he says.

That interest continued to grow through internships in corporate finance, corporate development, and most recently at Capital One, where he combined financial analysis with business strategy. Rather than following a predetermined career path, Lind found himself drawn to each new opportunity as his understanding of business expanded.

Outside the classroom, Lind has spent four years competing as a varsity wrestler, a sport he credits with shaping many of the qualities he now brings into the workplace. "Wrestling has impacted my professional skills in two big ways: by developing my work ethic and by encouraging me to seek and implement feedback," he says.

The sport demands constant discipline, resilience, and attention to detail. Even the smallest adjustments in technique can determine the outcome of a match, making feedback an essential part of improvement. That mindset has carried directly into his internships, where he views every project as an opportunity to learn. "To constantly improve, you need to constantly seek feedback from your coaches and partners and implement it as fast as possible," he explains. "That has helped me become a faster learner and shown people I work with that I care about getting better."

His commitment to continuous learning extends beyond his own development. Throughout college, Lind has served as a teaching assistant in programming, planetary geology, financial accounting, and econometrics. Working with students across multiple disciplines strengthened one of the skills he believes is often overlooked: communication. "Especially when teaching accounting, if you don't understand the basics, nothing else will click," he says. "That forced me to find many different ways to communicate foundational ideas."

His ability to simplify complex concepts proved equally valuable during his internship at Capital One. Working on the Business Cards and Payments team, Lind completed a summer-long research project that relied heavily on SQL, a programming language he had never used before. Learning the technical skills was only part of the challenge. Just as important was communicating the results to senior leaders who needed clear business recommendations rather than detailed technical explanations. "I improved my ability to communicate the takeaways of my research and show their relevance to the business," he says.

For Lind, technical expertise and interpersonal skills are inseparable. Data may reveal important insights, but those insights only matter if others understand and act on them. "Technical skills form the baseline, but interpersonal skills take you above and beyond," he says. "You have to be able to clearly and accurately communicate your takeaways to your team members and leadership."

His economics coursework reinforced that philosophy by teaching him not only how to analyze data, but how to communicate research with clarity and purpose. Concise writing and evidence-based thinking have become just as important as quantitative analysis. This fall, Lind will begin his career at Boston Consulting Group, where he hopes to continue developing both his analytical and communication skills while working with clients across a wide range of industries.

Consulting appealed to him because it combines the work he enjoys most, business analysis and strategic problem solving, with continuous learning. BCG, in particular, stood out for both its breadth of industry expertise and the people he met throughout the recruiting process. "Everyone was kind and welcoming," he says. "They all seemed driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to make a difference."

Whether competing on the wrestling mat, teaching in the classroom, or analyzing business challenges, Lind has built his success around the same principles: embracing difficult work, learning from feedback, and communicating ideas that help others make better decisions. Those lessons have prepared him not only for a career in consulting, but for a lifetime of solving complex problems with discipline, curiosity, and purpose.