Incoming analyst, BlackRock
From her very first year, Kaela Gero wanted to make an impact on other students and show herself as a leader within the business school. Now, as a senior, she is one of the recipients of this year’s CU Student Leaders of the Year.
“I was putting myself in the position to be lucky,” she said. “It was really fulfilling to see everything I had done these past years culminate into something before I graduate.”
Originally from Broomfield, Gero had her heart set on attending UCLA, but her admittance into the Leeds Scholars program influenced her decision to come to CU Boulder instead. This spring, she will be graduating with an emphasis in finance and business analytics along with certificates in entrepreneurship and global business.
“I realized Scholars could be a really good way to set myself apart and give me a community that I’ve been looking for,” she said. “When I came to Boulder, I fell in love with it and never looked back.”
Gero is a natural leader. She got herself involved in the Leeds Mentorship programs early on and also with Pick a Peer tutoring, as well as being a teaching assistant for Leeds instructor Don Oest. Outside of Leeds, she’s served on the CU Panhellenic Board as the VP of Finance. Through her leadership and mentorships, she’s learned a lot about herself and what makes a leader.
“Just because you're a leader doesn't mean that you have all the answers,” she said. “I think that's the biggest thing: understanding that a leader can learn just as much from their followers as their followers can learn from a leader.”
She believes that leaders need to have empathy, integrity and inclusivity. Though she’s learned a lot of these skills through experience, she’s also had mentors she’s been able to look up to and learn from as well.
“The mentors that I have in my life definitely helped guide my trajectory and helped me succeed,” she said. “It was really important for me to give back and do the same for other students.”
Being named a CU Student Leader of the Year didn’t come without challenges. From lost free time to missed classes, Gero will often put her needs aside for others who need her help. She has certain routines that create boundaries between certain areas in her life, but they often meld together. She still maintains a growth mindset, knowing that she can always be better and that her work can be more impactful.
"I was putting myself in the position to be lucky."
Kaela Gero (Fin and BA ’24)
“At any point in time, there's growth opportunities for myself and for others,” she said. “And I don't ever want to stop getting better.”
One of her biggest hobbies is traveling. She’s been to all 50 states and is convinced Colorado is the best. This summer after graduation, she plans to backpack with friends across Asia and visit South America with her family. After an exciting summer, she’s moving to San Francisco to start as an analyst at BlackRock.
As she transitions to a new chapter in her life, she hopes to be remembered as someone who is selfless, impactful and inspiring. Through her continuous mentorship and involvement in leadership positions across campus, she knows that she’s made her mark.
“I want to be remembered as someone who empowers others to achieve their best,” she said. “And I hope someone I helped says ‘I had this mentor named Kaela who greatly impacted my life.’”