How a Wharton undergrad balances balances dance and business

Samica Goal fell in love with dance as a kid, but not ballet. She enjoyed the energy of hip-hop dance, and joined a dance company in high school, training for hours in all dance styles.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Goel choreographed 8- and 9-year-olds' dance recitals since teachers were unable to come to the studio, and considered the role she wanted dance to play in her future. "I knew I wanted to dance in college," Goel says, "but I didn't want to major in dance."

During the pandemic, she worked with a local congressman's campaign-finance team and interacted with businesses of all sizes. As a choreographer, she found a natural link between business and the arts. "I think the one thing that stuck between dance and business was that I like building things from the ground up," she says.

Penn Masti is Penn's South Asian co-ed Bollywood fusion dance team. After going to one of the club's recruitment events, Goel says she fell in love with the team and its representation.

Goel became the club's assistant choreographer. The team went to Nationals, and she was elected as the artistic captain, which means developing the choreography, music, and set design for the team. She credits her unique background and willingness to step outside her comfort zone as a choreographic asset: coming from a hip-hop background, she had ideas that wouldn't have been traditionally explored from a Bollywood/Indian dance background.

Last summer, Goel interned at a private alternative investment firm and loved that the company was smaller and woman-run-a creative and representative vision that she wanted to be a part of. She'll return to the New York-based company after graduation, and she sees herself eventually pursuing a law degree or MBA and working with startups. As a choreographer, she drives the vision for a dance, and as a businessperson, she sees herself driving the vision of a company.

This story is by Alex Zhou. Read more at Wharton Stories.