Gilbert Raya: Finance & Dance Lessons

Gilbert Raya ’12, was working as an engineer in the oil and gas business when he decided to learn something new. The Rice University alumnus had already completed both undergraduate and professional masters degrees in Civil Engineering. Now, he was curious about economics and finance.

“After working my 9-5 job, I’d come home and log into Coursera for my online classes,” he said. “Within two or three courses, studying markets and the flow of money captured my attention in a way my job did not. My life goals seemed more in line with a career in finance, so I went back to school.”

Gilbert Raya completed his B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and his Professional Masters Degree in Civil Engineering at Rice University in 2012 and 2013. At the University of Houston, he completed his M.S. in Marketing in 2020 and is completing his M.S. in Finance in 2022. Read the rest of his story in the ACTIVATE Engineering Communication Program website . Highlights include:

“When I decided to transition from engineering to finance, I fell back on my Rice foundation. I had the discipline to complete the work, the attitude and perseverance to stick to a long term plan, and the knowledge that I had already accomplished hard things. I still felt fear, but I also knew I could eventually be successful in other aspects of my life, outside of engineering,” he said.

At the same time he was contemplating a career change, Raya faced another of his fears: dancing in public. He began by taking group lessons in Country dancing and in West Coast swing dancing, moving from beginner to intermediate dancer over time.

He said, “I was terrified of the whole scene, introducing myself to strangers, asking them to dance, entering into their personal space. But after two years, I transitioned from student to instructor —and that took a completely new skill set. Knowing how to dance is different than showing someone how to dance.

“In another two years, I had finally conquered my instructor fears: What will I say and do for an hour? How will I be perceived? Will I be interrupted? All those disempowering thoughts were nothing like what really happened. It just required practice, like anything else. So I practiced and practiced until both my students and I felt comfortable with the process of moving them from beginning dancer to confident dancer.”

In many ways, the same skills that make Raya a strong dance instructor also allow him to build trust with the clients he advises about financial matters. In his office and in the dance studio, the first interaction sets the tone. When a customer walks in, Raya approaches with a friendly smile and introduces himself.

“Begin with relationship,” he said. “You are friendly, smiling, introducing yourself by name, asking their name. Maybe you joke or find other ways to break down the barriers that exist between strangers. Your interaction is the beginning of an interpersonal connection. As an instructor or a financial advisor, you have to move from friendly acquaintance to the person in charge.”

In a dance studio, Raya might take up the microphone, demonstrate movements and explain with his voice and actions. In a wealth management meeting, he might ask leading questions or suggest an area to explore.

“The important part is – you are the authority here. Demonstrate that by how you say things as well as what you say. Each element of the interaction is important not only for excellent customer service but also for enjoying the time you spend together and for teaching your customer what they came to learn,” he said.

“If you stumble or even fall, you just have to persevere. For me, fear is recurring but I have always found a way to push through it. Like the entrepreneurs I most admire, I am not ashamed to admit failures; they are just stepping stones to a future success. That is the journey for each of us.”