UM Student Body President Ivana Liberatore made sure that every minute of her college career mattered. Now, on her way to Harvard University, she doesn’t intend to slow down.
Liberatore, a Miami native majoring in finance, business analytics and legal studies, has spent the last four years developing her relationships on campus and listening to students.
“I had to advocate and make decisions that impacted thousands of students, often in situations where there wasn’t a perfect answer,” Liberatore said. “It taught me to balance different perspectives while thinking a few steps ahead.”
As she prepares to attend Harvard Law School with the goal of becoming a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, Liberatore says she will miss the campus’ vibrant energy and sense of community the most.
She recalls her freshman year Homecoming as her favorite memory.
“It was one of the first times I really felt the full energy of UM. Being surrounded by all my friends, whom I still cherish to this day, put into perspective the life-long community I had just entered,” Liberatore said. “I remember thinking how lucky I was to be part of something like that.”
As her time at UM comes to a close, Liberatore reflected on how well her courses prepared her for her next chapter.
She credited her private equity class with Professor Jason Wright and her law of risk class with Professor Mark Shapiro for giving her a real-world understanding of private equity deals and insight into legal thinking that she “will carry with [her] as [she steps] into law school.”
Liberatore knows she still has room to grow, and views the future as an opportunity to learn.
“It will challenge me in ways I haven’t experienced before and I’m looking forward to growing both academically and personally,” she said.
Liberatore thanked her friends, mentors and professors for supporting her over the past four years. She also emphasized how grateful she is for her parents and brother believing in her unwaveringly, even when she was doubtful.
As the saying goes, no one is an island. Liberatore’s close connections to her friends, her organizations and her fellow students highlight just how important community is at the U.