How a Bank Visit Became a Catalyst for a Career in Finance for This School of Business Graduate

For Ashley Renteria, a visit to the bank with her parents was the catalyst for a career in finance. “It triggered something inside me,” Renteria said. “I fell in love with the environment.”

The accomplished senior, set to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the UNT Dallas School of Business with a 4.0 GPA, has always been a “numbers person.” Even as a child, Renteria was drawn to “subjects based on logic,” such as math and money. “I didn’t enjoy science,” she said wryly.

Spending time at the bank with her parents, translating Spanish to English for them as they opened accounts, had a lasting impact. “People from our culture often don’t understand it,” Renteria said. The business and finance world speaks “a whole other language.” Seeing how a bank operates piqued her curiosity. She told herself, “I have to learn it, to get experience.”

Renteria did just that. After attending Crowley Collegiate Academy’s Early College High School (ECHS) Program, she enrolled at Tarrant County Community College, then transferred to UNT Dallas, entering as a junior.  With classes, extracurriculars, a part-time job and preparation for a job search, she felt the pressure. “It put a lot of stress on me but motivated me.”

Luckily, Renteria had lots of support from her close-knit family. She is the second of four daughters of Mexican immigrants. Her older sister, Alexandra, graduated from UNT Dallas in 2021 and returned here to attend graduate school two years later. She will earn her Master of Science in Public Leadership in December.

Renteria is grateful for professors Dr. Ajamu Loving, Sam Anderson and Tim Maiden. All bring real-world financial expertise to their role as educators. Dr. Loving is a financial literacy practitioner and author. Anderson describes himself as a “financial alchemist.” And Maiden is a bank executive and entrepreneur, who along with his twin brother, Terrence, have invested deeply in southern Dallas through business ventures and community service. “I’d like to write a book on financial literacy one day,” Renteria said, inspired by Dr. Loving.

At a recent end-of-the-year banquet, Renteria received a School of Business Excellence Award and a Student Excellence in Finance Award. She is also an Elite Scholar for completing an internship of 100 hours minimum, a Community Engaged Scholar for completing a minimum of 50 hours of community service, and a First-Generation Scholar. 

Now, she is about to begin a fellowship at FinServ Foundation, recommended by Dr. Loving. Earlier this year, she had the privilege of attending OneServe 2025, a conference held in Grapevine, Texas that brought together financial industry professionals from around the country.

Renteria has been active on campus, too, holding down a student worker position for 20 hours a week. She has been a Senator in the Student Government Association, while her sister was President. Renteria has also served in the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). “I like to be involved in a lot of things,” she said, acknowledging how challenging it can be to balance it all.

Additionally, Renteria is a member of Trailblazer Elite (TBE), a program that provides resources to first-generation college students. And she was accepted into the esteemed Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program, which connects students with employers for paid summer internships. “I never realized how important internships are, especially in-person,” she explained.

Renteria recalled what she learned while interning at AMLI, the large residential apartment company, in 2024. She was exposed to operations, leasing and maintenance at three locations. “Some of the smallest things made the biggest impact,” she said. Her main takeaways included:

• The need for professional attire, appearance and behavior
• The skill to communicate with older people – those of different generations who don’t speak “Gen Z”
• The knowledge of how to act in a corporate environment

While Renteria is growing more comfortable in banking and financial settings, money hasn’t come easy to her family. Growing up, they lived in a low-income area of Arlington, then moved to Fort Worth. She began to understand socioeconomic mobility – one of the primary objectives UNT Dallas strives for its students to achieve. “You have to acknowledge there are inequities,” Renteria said. She pointed out that much of southern Dallas is known as a “food desert” – an underserved area with few grocery stores and a lack of places to buy nutritious products at affordable prices. The community service part of UNT Dallas’ mission “pushes me to give back” in her career, Renteria said. "I love helping people."

She has been fortunate to benefit from multiple grants and scholarships, including financial support from TBE,  The Greater Texas Foundation, the Tarrant County T3 program, merit scholarships and income-based assistance from the Door of Opportunity. It shows the extensive variety of options that exist to help UNT Dallas students with the costs of college. "I'll graduate debt-free," Renteria said with a sigh of relief.

Aside from financial costs, there are human costs, such as stress and anxiety. Renteria realized that maintaining and improving mental and physical health is crucial for success. She started going to the gym and paying more attention to her hair, makeup and clothes. “When I look good, I feel good,” she said. Renteria’s fitness habits even inspired her father to join a gym for the first time. “He’s more disciplined than me. He’ll flex his arm, and it makes me feel good to see the confidence in him,” Renteria said proudly.

As she reflects on the past two years at UNT Dallas completing her undergraduate education, Renteria is especially glad she had the opportunity to earn her Credit Analysis Certificate in addition to her Bachelor’s in Finance degree. This specialized Certificate program in partnership with Texas Capital Bank offers a pathway to commercial banking careers. “It gave me the opportunity to elevate myself – and it sets me apart from other (job) candidates,” said Renteria.

That competitive advantage will be especially important in the months and years ahead, as Dallas further establishes itself as a financial hub. The Texas Stock Exchange is preparing to launch, and two other stock exchanges will be operating here, too.

Renteria and other UNT Dallas graduates like her may soon be hearing “Welcome to Y’all Street.” And that will be music to their ears.