From India to NYC: Palak Seth’s Successful Journey to Graduation from St. John’s University Business School
“Even though I was not raised as a Catholic, I am aligned with the values of St. John’s mission statement,” Palak said. “Catholic, Vincentian, metropolitan, and global—it all means something to me.”
Meet Palak Seth '24TCB, an International Student at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business
Palak Seth does not like downtime. From classes to clubs, internships, and part-time jobs, the recent graduate of The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University jokes that she needs 25 hours daily to complete all of her responsibilities.
“I like to do things. I have always liked getting involved in something new and exciting, something different,” Palak said. “Initially, it was because I was exploring what I wanted to do. But during my time at St. John’s, I realized that my life is a blank page and I must fill it the way I want to. I like having things to do.”
Born in Cuttack, India, on the country’s east coast near Bangladesh, Palak is an accomplished international student who graduated in May. She earned a 3.84 grade point average with a major in Business Analytics and minors in Economics and International Management.
Palak is a member of the Dean’s List and Thomas J. Cox Jr. Honors Program at Tobin. In 2021, she earned admission into the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society for first-year students; a year later, she took part in the Global Business Research Symposium at St. John’s Rome, Italy, campus.
Palak accomplished all that while serving as a Career Peer in University Career Services; an International Student Peer Mentor and member of Project AIM within the Office of Multicultural Affairs; Vice President of the Applied Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Club; and an analyst with the University’s chapter of Consult Your Community, an arm of the University’s new Venture & Innovation Center.
As a student employee, she also worked in the Office of Alumni Relations, the Department of Athletics, and the Office of University Events. “I joke that I have seen every corner of the campus,” Palak said.
Palak Seth’s Journey from India to St. John’s University
Born into the Hindu faith, Palak attended a local Catholic school and then a private school in Odisha, about 100 miles from her home. Her sister completed a high school immersion program in the United States, mainly in New York City, inspiring Palak to pursue college opportunities in the US.
As she studied her options, she felt a kinship with the Vincentian mission of St. John’s.
“Even though I was not raised as a Catholic, I am aligned with the values of St. John’s mission statement,” Palak said. “Catholic, Vincentian, metropolitan, and global—it all means something to me.”
An application and a few interviews later, she enrolled 7,500 miles from home.
“I didn’t even know how the campus looked,” Palak recalled. “I knew it was in New York—that was all. But when I finally arrived here and saw the Queens campus, I said, ‘This is wonderful.’”
Palak’s arrival on campus had to wait for several months, however. A 2020 high school graduate, she had to complete her first semester at St. John’s online amid global lockdowns that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was an instant notification that the world was closing down,” Palak recalled. “We did not have the traditional high school commencement exercises or get a chance to say a proper goodbye to our friends. And then I was attending a college thousands of miles from home, but I was still in my house in India. There is an irony there.”
How Palak Seth Made the Most of Her Time at St. John’s
Eventually, in January 2021, Palak got her first in-person taste of life at St. John’s. She formed a bond with several professors at Tobin, including Niall C. Hegarty ’92CBA, ’94MBA, ’10Ed.D., Associate Professor, Management, Entrepreneurship, Consulting, and Operations.
“Palak is a very bright and determined student,” Dr. Hegarty said. “She also recognizes the value of working well with others. She brings an international perspective to things while also recognizing that she is the Chief Executive Officer of her life.”
Palak likewise embraced campus life, where, among other places, she found a home in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Among her mentors was Rosa C. Yen ’03GEd, ’12G, ’21G, Director, International Student Development and Multicultural Affairs. Palak’s willingness to work with other global students, assisting in their adjustment to life in New York City, impressed Ms. Yen.
“Palak made her mark here at St. John’s by breaking down barriers and going above and beyond to serve her peers, especially the international students,” Ms. Yen said. “It’s been a great honor to witness how she has grown and developed into a true professional, and she shines in every capacity.”
Palak put her classroom knowledge to the test in several internships and part-time jobs at St. John’s. As a client manager for the Manhattan, NY-based diamond wholesaler Virat Enterprises, she helped to boost revenue by $150,000 and grow the client base by 15 percent from May 2021 to June 2022. As a consulting and analytics intern for the technology services firm TrueSource, LLC during the Summer of 2023, she helped increase service calls while reducing dispatch times.
Thomas Cox '82CBA is Chief Executive Office of OnPoint Group, the parent company of TrueSource.
Between those assignments, Palak found time to propose and research an app that significantly increased sales at her parents’ gold and silver wholesale business in India.
“That’s what consulting is, more or less,” Palak explained. “Talking to someone, helping them to understand their needs, and then working your way around to fulfill those needs.”
The next step is a full-time consultant or analyst position, ideally in the US.
“I want to give myself a chance here in the US,” Palak said. “I would be interested in any opportunity that gives me a balance between analytics and consulting. It does not have to be in the job title, just in the job’s responsibilities.”
“I know that I have that background to be able to contribute and to learn,” Palak said.