Fourteen years ago, Lois Scott of Apalachin was one of thousands of recent college grads, setting out to conquer the business world. What sets Lois apart from rest is that she did it.

With an MBA from Cornell University and a lot of ambition, Lois set out for Chicago. In just six months, she realized she had found her niche. Today, Lois Scott, 36, is managing director of BancAmerica Securities, a unit of San Francisco-based BankAmerica Corp.

"I had a number of job offers in New York and San Francisco, but for me, Chicagoans seemed to have the right attitude," says Lois. She started her career at First Chicago Corporation and worked 10 years at two Wall Street investment banks. She moved to BancAmerica in 1995.

Last year, Lois beat more than 30 underwriters to secure an assignment from the Chicago Public Schools. Using her financial talent, Lois and her team figured how to raise $350 million with bond market financing. The schools' budget director David Agazzi says, "We did not know what we were doing until they got on board."

Known for her excellent technical and relationship skills, Lois was instrumental in securing another client for BancAmerica, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.

Despite such a demanding job, Lois finds time for volunteer activities which include preparing tax returns for low-income people to researching financial options for a regional high-speed rail system.

Lois is a graduate of Owego Free Academy, and is the daughter of Owego Town Councilwoman Doris Scott and the late Dr. John Scott.