Karissa Rusu
Hi there! I have been at WashU for over four years and have absolutely loved my time working at Olin and being a part of students’ career journeys.
- My career in higher education began in undergraduate and graduate business admissions, recruiting and academic program support over 10 years ago. After a two year experience working for an international NGO in Burkina Faso in West Africa, I returned to my hometown of St. Louis and supported international students at Saint Louis University. In 2019, I joined the SMP career coaching team in the career center. My experience with international students informed my strengths focused approach to career development.
- In September 2023, I began a new role. I now oversee the graduate business career development for our SMP and MBA students within the Center for Career Engagement. My team of coaches is passionate about students, creative, strategic and super fun to work with which makes my job pretty cool!
- In my spare time, I enjoy time outdoors walking my 50 pound mini Goldendoodle, Oliver, or hiking with my husband, Ciprian. We love exploring new places together, especially ones with mountains. This past summer we went to Spain, our first international trip since the pandemic. We visited San Sebastian, Seville and Madrid – each city had its own personality and completely wowed us. We can’t wait to go back!
- I am a people-person through and through and am a big fan of my hometown, St. Louis. That means that I am often meeting up with friends for coffee or happy hour – if on a patio in the sunshine, even better. Broadway Oyster Bar is one of my favorite patios in STL as it makes me feel like I am on vacation in New Orleans. 😀
- I had the chance to travel to Beijing and Shanghai last July and had an incredible time connecting with SMP students and alumni! Everyone, including perfect strangers, was so hospitable, kind and helpful to me during my travels. Di Lu, who leads our employer engagement efforts in China, and I hosted student and alumni mixers in each city and also facilitated a Shanghai Finance Trek to visit three companies with 20+ SMP students and a few alums. I had the chance to explore the Forbidden City, The Summer Palace and Suzhou while also experiencing traditional hot pot. SO good!
