Class of 2025 Profile: Grace Demetrician

I urge every freshman, sophomore, junior, and even senior reading this to keep grinding and shoot for the stars, because you don't realize how much you're going to grow.

Why did you choose Mizzou, especially coming from Wisconsin? 

I applied to about 15 schools, mostly looking at SEC schools like the University of South Carolina and Kentucky. Mizzou offers great out-of-state tuition, which was a big factor. But what really sealed it was when I visited campus. I've always made decisions based on my gut feeling, and when I came here, I literally saw my name written on the buildings of Mizzou—it just fit perfectly. 

I was accepted into the Cornell Leadership Program, which originally brought me to campus, and once I was here, the decision became obvious. 

What I love about Mizzou is its central location in the US. I'm a big driver and can drive anywhere from here. It has northern hospitality and a "let's get things done" attitude, but also the southern twang and culture. 

What person at Trulaske inspired you the most in your experience here, and how? 

Absolutely Mary Beth Marrs. I respect her in so many ways. One thing everyone notices is her capacity to know so many people from different walks of life. She has guidance for all her students going through similar situations—she's like a human database, and also a champion for the students she takes under her wing. 

I really respect that she's professional and knows how business is done, but not afraid to show vulnerability and emotion. That's been interesting for me as I've been learning about my personal branding and how I want to present myself as a woman professional. She does a great job of being herself and being raw, while remaining professional. At the end of the day, Mary Beth is a network.  

What class, guest lecture, or experience had the most impact on you? 

Two classes come to mind. One wasn't within the business school—it was through the Honors College during my first semester. It was taught by Howard Lidsky, whose wife was the previous Dean of the Law School. It was a trial advocacy class. We read Aristotle, and it pushed me to interact, argue, and learn persuasion techniques. It was pretty cool because we were all first-semester freshmen from different tracks, and we got an instant cohort through the Honors College. 

Another impactful class was Alternative Investments taught by Matteo Binfaré. He's special because he's so technical—you can tell he loves his research and the qualitative side of what he teaches. But he's also incredibly personable and makes it a point to offer career opportunities for his students. He'll share job postings he thinks might be helpful, which is really valuable for students who don't have everything figured out yet. He truly cares about his students. Outside of my classes, I've had extremely impactful experiences with the University of Missouri Investment Group and Allen Angel Capital Education Program, which were very significant for me. 

What leadership skills have you gained here? 

One thing I've noticed about leadership as a student is that it's really hard because of the quick turnover. You have to walk the line between doing what has been done before and putting your own impression on it. You won't be an impactful leader if you just do what's always been done, but you'll also step on toes if you change everything. Finding that balance is tough. 

I learned from an amazing colleague, Kyle Klosterman, to just make people's days better. How can I walk out of this conversation having an impact on you while also fulfilling myself? That's what I've learned about leadership. You cannot know everything, but it's how you leave conversations, meetings, deals, and institutions that actually matters. 

What achievements are you most proud of? 

I'm proud of the recent award I won from Mary Beth Marrs—the inaugural Legacy Leadership Award, sponsored by the Walker family (Bruce and Pam Walker) and Alan and Mary Beth Marrs. I think Mary Beth has seen me and Brady, the other recipient, work so hard and achieve so much without necessarily being recognized in other ways. My life verse is Proverbs 3:27, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it's in your power to act," and feel as though Mary Beth used her power for good. 

I'm also really proud of my leadership as the Chief Marketing Officer for UMIG and as a Managing Director for our student-run venture fund. I was a Managing Director for three semesters, which is a pretty long term.  

I went through a lot personally during my sophomore and junior years. I wish I would have achieved more in my roles, but I did what I had to do—I kept going and stayed persistent.

For students looking at options for their degree in business, what is an unexpected outcome from your education at Mizzou? Or is there something that you wish you would have known coming in? 

I actually came to Mizzou thinking I wanted to go to law school. One reason why I came here was that the Kinder Institute sounded really interesting to me. I thought I wanted to pursue law because I knew I wanted to work hard, work long hours, and make money. But instead of doing that with legislation, contracts, and litigation, I figured out that I would rather do that with deals, people, and qualitative analysis. That's why I pivoted from law to high finance. 

Beyond academics, what stands out to me is that as a 22-year-old, this is the turning point when you become an adult and choose to have lifelong connections. I'm excited to continue my relationships with the people I've met here and make them lifelong—whether that means helping them or them helping me. It's the turning point of adulthood, and it's when you really get the choice to show who you are. 

Can you share examples of how the pillars of excellence relate to your personal experience at Trulaske? 

For transformative technology, the pure exposure to the number of platforms available to us as Mizzou students, and also within business, is pretty outstanding. The continuing innovation and new businesses starting software to help us is so cool. It's great to get that exposure in college before hitting the desk at a job where they might not expect us to know these tools, but we do because of our experience. 

Regarding hands-on learning, I feel privileged to be in the Cornell Leadership Program, but I've seen my colleagues outside of the group seek out corporate trips on their own. I'm extremely thankful for the trips sponsored by the Cornell Leadership Program, which really embody hands-on learning. 

UMIG is a great example of hands-on learning—if you work hard, you can get wherever you want to go, and it's all hands-on. We've had only one meeting as an associate group, but we're one of the tightest-knit groups because of the trips we go on, the happy hours we attend, and how we support each other in our day to day. 

And I can't forget the Allen Angel Capital Education Program—that's as hands-on as you can get. As analysts, we source all our deals on our own, which teaches us how to quickly evaluate a startup's pitch deck and decide whether to pursue it further.  

What is next for you? 

I'm heading to Piper Sandler, a public investment bank. I'll be at their headquarters in Minneapolis, and I'm super excited. I interned with the team last year. 

I'll be joining the Merchant Banking team, which is their growth equity division. I'm excited because it's a really small team within a big company, so I think I get the best of both worlds. 

With the recruiting process for high finance, I actually secured this position at the end of my sophomore year. As long as I didn't mess anything up, I was likely to join full-time if it was a good fit. That's how the recruiting process works—I started freshman year, and for the past two years, I've been hoping to join Piper. This allowed me to experience Mizzou with a curious mindset, not freaking out about what I was going to do after graduation. I've really enjoyed learning because my next step was already set in stone. 

Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to share? 

One thing that's been on my mind lately—I heard this from an Edge event video—is that we underestimate how much we'll grow in the future. When we picture our future selves, we underestimate how much we're going to change for the better. 

I urge every freshman, sophomore, junior, and even senior reading this to keep grinding and shoot for the stars, because you don't realize how much you're going to grow. We always look back four years and see how much we've changed, but we assume we're going to be the same person four years from now. That's just not true. 

If you establish daily habits that positively impact your life, you're going to become a better person and be able to handle more. It's helpful and exciting advice that I've been holding onto personally and trying to share with everyone.