KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaican-born, Victoria Horne, was recently featured in Times Square on the Morgan Stanley billboard after becoming one of the 2022 Capstone Project winners in the Morgan Stanley Jumpstart Lead programme.

The Jamaican placed first in the team Capstone Project after being tasked with choosing a set of Dl firms to act as passive book-runners and co-managers for Amazon’s $18.5 billion investment-grade debt offering.

Horne, daughter of Norman Horne, chairman of ARC Manufacturing Limited, grew up in Mandeville, Jamaica, and migrated when she was ten to New York.

The younger Horne was quick to laud her father for his guidance and support.

“My father gave me very valuable insight as a businessman who owns a manufacturing company. He told me to focus on managing my P&L, to always have an edge, and to never give up,” said Horne.

“Through his never ending support, I was able to build [the] resilience that I have today,” added the scholar.

“My father is one of my biggest supporters and has been there encouraging me since the very beginning. Without him, none of this would have been possible.”

The Morgan Stanley Jumpstart Lead programme is a high school scholar five-month long learning programme in the United States where scholars can broaden their understanding of finance, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, wealth building, global debt markets, arbitrage, mergers and acquisitions, career development and leadership skills.

The 17-year-old was elated that she managed to win such a competition and describes the feeling as surreal when she saw herself on display in Times Square.

“It felt like a once in a lifetime experience because I never thought I would see myself on a billboard in Times Square. My mom started screaming and I was just smiling. We were all just happy,” she said.

Horne was also grateful for the experience as it taught her multiple life lessons and the opportunity led her to choosing her career path.

“The experience introduced me to a sense of teamwork that I actually never had before, I really liked the way we were collaborating and what we were doing and that actually the reason why I wanted to become an investment banker,” she said.

She also credited resilience for her recent success as she was denied entry to multiple programmes.

“Throughout high school, I applied to many competitive programmes in finance, computer science and real estate, it was very difficult, I was a freshman, with no previous internship experience. However, as time went on I was able to build my resume and secure my acceptance and thrive in the programmes I’ve completed today.”

“Even though I got rejected from a lot of different programmes I didn’t let it tear me down and I kept on trying,” said Horne.

“My message to high schoolers and teenagers is to keep on trying as resilience is one of the greatest qualities you can have,” she added.

Horne now has her sights on obtaining an internship at Morgan Stanley and currently applying for other programmes.