Aliza Peikes was drawn to the world of computers from a very young age. As a child, she enjoyed playing around with basic computer programs and later on, her interest grew to include problem solving and logic games which propelled her towards a career in computer programming.

Entering Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences in Flatbush after a gap year at BJJ in Israel, it didn’t take Peikes very long to choose her major — computer science was the obvious choice. Today, the 2023 class valedictorian and summa cum laude graduate of Touro’s Lander College of Arts and Sciences is employed as a software engineer at Goldman Sachs.  She works closely with finance teams to improve the overall efficiency of financial operations and designs and develops software systems that are used to generate the firm’s financial metrics and reports.

Besides her stellar grades and corporate internships that led to full time employment, Peikes seeks out chesed opportunities that enable her to help individuals and organizations. For ten years, she offered respite to a family with a special needs child and has also lent her time and talent to help small companies and startups with software consulting.  Additionally, she helped digitize the operations of a local organization that provides discounted clothing to Kollel members and mechanchim.

“I chose Touro in Flatbush because it provided me with a quality education while upholding my personal values.  The positive experiences of my mother and six siblings who also graduated Touro, further influenced my decision,” says Peikes.

“When it came to gaining real world experience, Touro connected me with alumni who are working at the top of the field. My journey began with an internship at Goldman this past summer, followed by another internship as a software developer at IBM in the fall. I then secured my full time role at Goldman Sachs, with the guidance and encouragement of Touro’s computer science department chair and a Touro alumnus who is currently employed at Goldman Sachs,” shares Peikes.

She looks forward to an exciting career but says her ultimate goal is to stay true to her values and dedicate herself fully to every endeavor she undertakes. She strives for excellence and seeks to make meaningful contributions, professionally and in the community.

“Aliza Peikes has achieved excellence in her academic studies and has performed at a high level in two extremely competitive internships at Fortune 500 companies. Beyond academics, she demonstrated sterling character traits and middos in her general conduct. She is a role model for all our students to emulate,” said Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, Executive Dean at Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences.

Peikes is an outdoor sports and travel enthusiast and particularly enjoys visiting national parks. She’s been to Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, the Colorado Rockies, Badlands National Park, Windcave National Park and Mount Rushmore and hopes to add many more to her travelogue.

Touro University’s 49th Annual Commencement Exercises will be held in Alice Tully Hall Lincoln Center on Sunday, June 4.