Nathan Carrasco

When Nathan Carrasco reflects on his study journey at Waikato, he says the mix of academic excellence and practical learning laid the foundation for a career that’s both challenging and rewarding.

A passionate environmentalist, Nathan initially planned to study environmental science or medicine, but he decided to enrol for a business degree instead after hearing Waikato’s economics lecturers at Open Day.

“I could see how passionate they were about their subject, so it inspired me to go down that business and management pathway instead,” he says.

“I’ve always been interested in understanding different schools of thought on various issues, so majoring in Economics and Finance has allowed me to focus on the critical thinking side of things.”

From Goa to Gisborne - and beyond

Originally from Goa, India, Nathan’s family emigrated to Gisborne, New Zealand when he was two years old, and their support has been a huge motivation for him. “My parents sacrificed a lot to give us opportunities here, so I’ve always wanted to make them proud.”

A recipient of Waikato’s prestigious $25,000 Te Paewai o Te Rangi Scholarship, Nathan says the smaller, friendly campus at Waikato made it easy to connect with lecturers and classmates.

“Once the scholarship came through, it was quite hard to turn down! The friendships I’ve made, the business opportunities I’ve been given; it’s something I never expected.”

Understanding the world through data insights

With his keen brain for numbers, one of Nathan’s favourite papers was ECONS205 Data Analytics with Business Applications.

“It’s a wonderful paper that sets Waikato graduates apart from other universities. It teaches you how to see relationships between data and helps people make data-driven conclusions.”

He also enjoyed another paper focused on using Microsoft Power BI to visualise data and provide fresh insights that drive business decision-making.

Real-world business experiences

During his studies, Nathan joined a team of Waikato finance students competing in the CFA Institute Research Global Challenge, which provides real-world experience in financial analysis of stocks.

“Our team didn’t win the competition, but I was super happy with the training and mentorship we received, applying those theoretical skills in a practical environment.”

He was then invited to do a summer internship at the Commerce Commission in Wellington, which gave him further insight into economic policy aimed at bettering people’s lives.

“It was a really cool experience living in Wellington for four months and learning what it was like to be an economist in the public sector. I had a lot of fresh ideas, so they got me to build pricing models for the electricity sector.”

Nathan got a real buzz when his team was selected for the finals of the Waikato Management School Case Competition, which is part of the capstone paper MNGMGT321 Applied Business Strategy.

“It was absolutely phenomenal. You’re asked to develop a business growth strategy for a real New Zealand company, so you have to analyse competitors in the same industry, have an understanding of costs, and think about how your strategy would work in practice.”

“It’s quite a daunting thing, but you  learn how to work in a team under pressure and present to judges — we all took away some amazing skills from that challenge.”

Towards the end of his degree, Nathan was selected for BNZ’s graduate programme, working with local business owners in Matamata to help them thrive, and he’s since been promoted several times.

“It’s incredibly fulfilling to work alongside passionate businesspeople,” he says. “Every client has a story, and I enjoy being part of their success by helping them make smart financial decisions.”