Boston College Athletics
A Graduate's Tale: Nina Baumberger Altirriba
May 22, 2015 | Field Hockey
When Nina Baumberger Altirriba stepped on to Boston College's campus for the first time in 2012, she had a welcoming family waiting for her.
Enrolling as a sophomore, Baumberger Altirriba joined the field hockey team from her native Barcelona, Spain. Adjusting to a new school, a new culture and a new sports program was challenging, but her BC family helped smooth the transition.
"Coming from Spain, it was obviously a hard transition but I did have so much help from all of my teammates, coaches and (academic counselor) Patrice (Bouzan)," Baumberger Altirriba said. "Everyone in BC Athletics made the transition so much easier and made me feel at home so quick that I was really comforted when I got here. And obviously I had the language barrier and culture shock, it was hard at school and field hockey is different, but you always have that help and that support from everyone."
That was three years ago.
Now, having graduated from BC this week with a degree in economics, Baumberger Altirriba is on to the next stage of her life where she'll join another team - this time at Goldman Sachs as an analyst.
"I'm starting in July on a team that does asset management for institutional clients," she said. "So money management for central banks, corporations, pension plans and different corporations in the United States and Latin America."
Being part of a team at Goldman Sachs will come naturally to Baumberger Altirriba, who made 53 career appearances in three seasons for the Eagles. In fact, her time in Chestnut Hill with the field hockey team helped put her in the position she's in.
"Being a student-athlete, in general, helps you be a team player, and gives you skills in time management, stress management and working under pressure," Baumberger Altirriba said. "Being at Boston College, there are more values you learn and it just helps you prepare.
"When I went into my interviews, I think that's something that convinced my interviewers. They saw that I had a complete background being a student-athlete, not only athletically, but also academically and as a person," she said.
Baumberger Altirriba admits that her first job out of college may not be her last. But she wants the experience and the characteristics of a Boston College student-athlete to shine through, no matter where she lands in the future.
"I don't really know where I'm going to end up, but I'm going to start a career in finance next year because I really like macroeconomics and being up-to-date on what's going on in the world, and I like fast-paced jobs," she said. "Wherever I end up, I just want to be well-known as a hard worker and goal-oriented person."
