Lucas Nehemiah is currently a Senior Manager of Talent Operations and Programs at Marqeta, a financial services company. He graduated from Baruch College with a degree in Finance and began his career in public accounting. He transitioned into recruiting and HR after being heavily involved in university recruiting at his firm. In his current role, Lucas focuses on people-centric programs and scalable processes, viewing his position as a jack of all trades or, more formally, a Chief of Staff.
Lucas was a 2015 NY Fellow. He joined the program because he knew that as a first-generation college student coming from a low-income immigrant background, he needed support to navigate the working world.
“ANY has truly bridged the gap for me and many other fellows to better understand critical skills like perfecting your elevator pitch to mastering interviews and even learning basic personal financial literacy. These are life fundamentals that an English 101 course wouldn’t teach you.”
Lucas believes one of the most valuable lessons he learned at ANY, which still resonates today, is the importance of having a personal brand. He recalls a Mentor Coach emphasizing that landing an internship is just the start—you need to keep pushing, advocating for yourself, and growing to reach your career goals.
“The dedication you commit to a project or going above and beyond on a deliverable shows. Making the effort to put in that extra 10% will absolutely pay off in the long run. Tying it back to my humble beginnings, I’ve always felt the need to be working twice as hard as my peers who may have had a different starting point than I did, but because I’ve invested in building my brand, I’m now seeing the results.”
Lucas believes the one of the most useful aspects of the Fellows Program is getting to be a part of the ANY community.
“The community is everything – whether it be the Mentor Coaches that you got to learn from who came from different industries and career paths to the Fellows who have varied interests than you do but have the same ambition; being surrounded by like-minded individuals who were invested in your development spoke volumes.”
With the help of ANY, Lucas secured an internship at a top public accounting firm during his sophomore year, which he continued each year until graduation.
“I had the opportunity to intern so early on through the ANY network and learned a lot as I went through the Program. Those experiences fully prepared me to navigate the workforce after graduation.”
Lucas recalls instantly connecting with his future Mentor Coach during the first few sessions where Mentor Coaches and Fellows were getting to know each other. At the time, she worked at Goldman Sachs, and as a Finance major, Lucas was thrilled when she offered to give him a tour of the downtown NYC office, followed by a coffee.
“After we were officially matched, my Mentor Coach showed up and committed to my personal and professional growth. We would always check in throughout the week on school or work-related topics and when we reconnected during the program on Saturday, it would feel like I had a confidant supporting me every step of the way. I have since relocated outside of NYC, but when I do visit the city, we often grab a meal and end up catching up on both personal and professional endeavors. She recently got married and though I wasn’t able to make it to the celebration, I cheered her on from afar. I’m grateful that we’ve stayed connected for almost 10 years now.”
Although he no longer lives in NYC Lucas continues to be an active member of the ANY community.
“It’s difficult not being central to a local site, but whenever there are virtual volunteer opportunities that align with my schedule, I try to sign up for them. I’ve seen so much greatness come out of ANY for myself, and my peers, and I would be remiss if I didn’t return the favor of giving back to the program that’s helped shape me into who I am today.”
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