Economics Spotlighted student: Celia Page '23
Celia feels it is important to examine referee behavior in Premier League soccer games, as it could potentially highlight more nuanced forms of discrimination.
Attending an academically strong, small liberal arts college on the east coast and playing collegiate soccer were the two key goals for Celia Page ’23 when she started her college search. Growing up in nearby Wynnewood, PA, and because her father attended Haverford College and her mother attended Bryn Mawr College, a tour and an overnight with the soccer team at Haverford were natural given these goals. During these visits, Celia experienced the welcoming community she had hoped to find. Since Haverford embodies the core philosophies Celia embraced and fostered in high school (trust and respect), applying early decision was a most easy decision for Celia.
The first semester of her first year, Celia took Introduction to Economics with Prof. David Owens, and it was her favorite class that semester. That formative Econ experience was followed with Analytical Methods for Economics, which was also taught by Prof. Owens. Those two classes solidified her decision to major in economics.
Joining the ranks of Celia’s favorite classes are Prof David Owens’ Behavioral Economics and Prof. Anne Preston’s Junior Research Seminar titled Sports as an Economics Laboratory. Professor Preston’s Junior Research Seminar was the catalyst for Celia’s thesis topic, where she is examining the role of potential discrimination in high-level soccer through a study of yellow and red cards awarded to players in the English Premier League over the past 10 years. Given the frequently reported incidents of fan-based discrimination against players of color in the league, Celia is seeking to examine if referees also display bias with the number of awarded yellow and red cards to non-white players compared to their white teammates. Celia feels “it is important to examine referee behavior in Premier League soccer games, as it could potentially highlight more nuanced forms of discrimination.”
Celia has pursued numerous extracurricular activities in addition to her Economics studies at Haverford. She has served as an Admission Office Fellow since 2021, giving tours to prospective students and parents. She enjoys sharing her Haverford experiences and meeting new people, many of which are hoping to be new members of the community. Achieving one of her key goals attending Haverford, Celia was co-captain of the soccer team and played outside midfielder. Celia is also a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee serving as a liaison between the athletic department and the greater Haverford community. She has been a teaching assistant for economics classes, H201 Analytical Methods for Economics, and H304 Introduction to Econometrics.
In addition to taking Accounting and Financial Reporting at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in the summer of 2020, Celia has filled her other summers with internships. For the past two summers, Celia interned at JPMorgan Chase in New York City working in the Corporate Investment Banking division through the company’s Advancing Black Pathways Program (2021) and in the Capital Markets division (2022). The team oriented nature of the company, the sense of community and the fast paced environment are reasons why Celia will continue her work full-time at JPMorgan in New York City starting in June. Celia will be in the Capital Markets division focusing on equity derivatives sales and trading. Congratulations Celia!
