Alumnus Found Motivation and Purpose at St. John’s

Mr. Gonzalez’s father was a New York City police officer, and his mother was a Catholic schoolteacher. Their prevailing thought was that he should get a city job. As a student at Xavier High School in Manhattan, NY, he took an interest in the stock market. It fascinated him, “especially how you could invest and make a lot of money in either a short or long time period.”

“I remember my first day at St. John’s,” he recalled. “It was very intimidating going from my high school, which was one building, to this gigantic campus. I remember walking around for the first time by myself, wondering how I would find my classes? Am I going to get there on time? It was intimidating, but I managed.” 

In short order, Mr. Gonzalez found his rhythm at St. John’s and cultivated a solid group of friends, all of whom were fans of Men’s Basketball.

Transferring to Staten Island allowed him to experience the intimate feel of that campus, which he also appreciated. “Staten Island was very small and almost felt like high school. It had a warmth to it that I loved. Everyone was just a little bit closer, I think, because it was such a small campus.”

Mr. Gonzalez enjoyed elective courses in public speaking and criminal justice and encourages current students to choose them wisely as they greatly enhanced his academic experience. 

While at St. John’s, Mr. Gonzalez obtained an internship at Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation as a financial analyst. “I’m so happy that happened to me because I hated every second of it,” he laughed. “I didn’t want to sit in a cubicle all day without human interaction and just crunch numbers.”

Intensely motivated, Mr. Gonzalez took and passed his Series 7 exam while still in college and began working as a stockbroker while still at St. John’s. Realizing his true passions lie elsewhere, he became a proprietary day trader and opened his own firm by age 25.

As the years progressed, he became more interested in working directly with people to avoid common pitfalls within investments and wealth management. 

In 2012, he joined Merrill Lynch and today operates a team with six associates. The creation of the team has provided him with the ability to work with a vast spectrum of clients, servicing families with a net worth ranging from $5 million to well over $100 million.

“We’re a Forbes-ranked team, named best in New York State for four years running,” he noted. “I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished, starting from zero and getting to where we are today. It’s not typical by any means. My team and my clients mean the world to me.”