Miguel Angel Navarro Jr. | Alum

Embracing Different Perspectives

I chose DePauw because I wanted to be somewhere where I felt at home.

As a student, I was exposed to so many different cultures, values and viewpoints. The faculty provided me with a fantastic liberal arts education in several departments, including economics and political science. Being immersed in a diverse community such as DePauw has enabled me to look at an idea or problem that arises at work from multiple perspectives.

The summer between my junior and senior year I was an intern for DePauw’s finance and administration office and worked alongside some great people. This exposed me to public finance and the kind of work that I am doing now.

I work in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, as an analyst for PFM Financial Advisors LLC, Public Financial Management Inc. 

I’m responsible for providing analytical support for multimillion-dollar projects ranging from refunding a municipality or public entity’s debt to structuring and sizing a new bond issue to fit the specific needs of the issuer. 

We do our best to help municipalities and public entities obtain the lowest borrowing rates and tailor debt structures for their bond issues. It is very rewarding work, helping save taxpayers money so that they can take that much-wanted vacation, and improving the quality of life for people by helping finance new construction, schools and road work, among other things.

I believe that DePauw’s mission to break down barriers has helped me improve my communication skills and connect with people from all walks of life, which is extremely valuable in the workplace.