Tori Stewart.
Where do you live? West Palm Beach, Florida.
Current company and position? Graduate Intern in Wealth Management at Stifel.
First job and what it taught me? My first unofficial job was painting the fences around the house every summer with my brother during primary school break but I my first official job was at 16 working in a local café taking orders, clearing tables and washing dishes. This job taught me the value of hard work. Working in hospitality can often be demanding, and learning to work well under pressure & communicate effectively with coworkers and customers as a teenager has been an important role in shaping my career path and work ethic. For as long as I can remember my parents instilled in me the vitality of hard work and perseverance. Both parents being self-employed, I became commercially aware very early on. Being able to immerse myself in the workings of a business as a child has been a pivotal part of my learning journey. I wouldn’t be where I am now had I not had these experiences.
How do you embrace your Irish heritage? My Irish heritage is a massive part of who I am and even more so since moving to the US. Nothing compares to the music, culture & community. As a teenager, I was part of an Irish singing group, while I’m not a fluent speaker, I’ll never forget those melodies taught to me. The support from the Irish community in the US is like no other and makes moving here so much easier. Attending events held by Irish organizations, such as Women With Ambition, where I’ve been able to connect with like-minded Irish women in the US has been invaluable during my time here. Having moved here from Belfast, a highlight moment for me was attending New York New Belfast. It felt like I was right at home! I try to embrace my Irish identity everyday no matter how small - a special mention to the bottle of Mi Wadi sitting at my work desk being a wee reminder of home.
Something people would be surprised to know about me... Something that often surprises people is that my sport growing up was rugby. I played for Letterkenny Rugby Club, starting in minis & following onto ladies’ youth. The club is named after another Ramelton native, Dave Gallagher, who served as the first ever captain of the All Blacks, allowing Letterkenny RFC to be the only other rugby club in the world to use the fern on its crest!
Biography: Tori Stewart is 23 years old, from Ramelton, Co. Donegal. She studied Business Economics at Ulster University, Belfast. During her time at university, she worked for the UU Development & Alumni Department, focusing on stakeholder & alumni engagement. Ready to utilise her academic background in economics, she moved to the US on the Graduate Visa in April. Initially in New York, she made the move to Florida and now serves as a Graduate Intern at Stifel in Palm Beach Gardens, working under Financial Advisor, Michael Brewster. She holds several music certifications from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Trinity College London.
