The NYU Stern Signature Experience Series: Where Business Meets Belonging

The Signature Experience Series offers first-year students an opportunity to meet new classmates while easing into city life. For Jason Perdue, a lifelong tennis fan and Stern first-year majoring in Business and Political Economy, seeing tennis pro Aryna Sabalenka play at the US Open was an added bonus. “During my first few days in New York City, I watched some of the world’s greatest tennis players with people I had just met,” Jason shares. “The Signature Experience Series connected me with so many classmates, including some who became my best friends.”

Martin Wu, a senior Business major concentrating in finance and management, has accumulated four years’ worth of Signature Experience Series memories. Like Jason, he attended the US Open in his first year. Then as a sophomore, his class enjoyed a night of celebration at the Museum of the City of New York. “Spending this time with my classmates in such a legendary space was incredibly exciting. It made us all feel very special,” he says.

In his junior year, Martin’s class took a ferry to Ellis Island. There, they had the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to themselves for the evening. “As we cruised by the Statue of Liberty, it was so nice to share this surreal moment together,” he recalls.

Finally, this year Martin and the rest of the senior class took a dinner cruise along the Hudson River. Looking out at the skyline, they marveled at the city they’d gotten to know over the past three years. “Being in New York City for college, we have so many of these iconic destinations at our feet,” Martin says. “For someone like me from California, these sights I dreamt of as a kid are now in my daily commute. That moment of realization was incredibly uplifting.”

When junior Audrey Chang returned from studying away at NYU London during her sophomore year, the series helped her easily reconnect and reacclimate. This year she and her classmates spent an evening at the American Museum of Natural History. “I spoke to people I hadn’t seen since my first year,” she says. “I also joined the NYU Run Club after meeting a few members!”

Stern’s continuous emphasis on community makes the Signature Experience Series all the more meaningful as the entry point for each new school year. “Whether I am attending Signature Experience events, watching The Lion King on Broadway through the Cohen Arts and Culture Experience, or participating in one of Stern’s clubs and organizations, the school has given me so many opportunities to connect with peers on and off campus. I met many of my closest friends through Stern,” shares Audrey.

“At Tisch Hall, you’ll notice students waving at one another and the lobby filled with folks conversing,” echoes Martin. “Because of Stern’s efforts to connect students from their first week, we feel comfortable together and enjoy each other’s company.”