During my first year at Wellesley, I would tell anyone who would listen how I had discovered the world of banking and finance while having the time of my life in college, yet how disappointed I was to learn that this industry typically didn’t hire first-year summer interns. I talked to pastors, teachers, dog walkers, counselors, doctors, and even museum curators about my newly formed passion. I knew that I needed to work my network to find a summer internship, even if my chances of securing one would be limited.
It wasn’t until winter break when I was home in Chicago on a visit to the Chicago Scholars Program that a possible door to banking and finance opened. During my visit, I met the Director of College to Career Services, who casually asked me what I was thinking about for the upcoming summer. I burst into my elevator pitch, which was way more than 60 seconds, and he told me to look out for some of their partnered summer internship positions in the near future. I left believing I had a shot at securing an internship in the financial industry as a first-year.
A month or so later I saw the internship post I had been waiting for: “Loop Capital Markets Summer Internship, open to all Scholars”. I sent in my application (and CWS reviewed resume) with my heart racing. Soon, I had a phone interview and was wishing on every star for this opportunity. It was a beautiful day when I received my offer letter; it was raining, I had just earned an unflattering grade on a rough draft of a major paper, and the strap on my backpack had broken, but all of those negative points in my day were nothing compared to this fantastic news.
Through this internship last summer, I was exposed to women and minority business leaders within the financial industry. I was assigned to intern on the amazingly dedicated and thorough Analytical Services team, where I had a hands-on opportunity to research information for their yearly report. I was encouraged to stay updated on law and financial events relating to public pension funds and motivated to always ask questions, shadow leaders during meetings, and make suggestions on how to make the team more efficient. I ended the summer working with two other dedicated and highly intelligent interns on a massive research project.
This ten week intensive summer program was a unique experience that also allowed me opportunities to attend presentations, meetings, and field trips with those in senior management positions. I met the owner of the Chicago White Sox, several up and coming entrepreneurs, and my investment mogul heroes Mellody Hobson and John Rogers, Jr. You could say that I was inspired every day I went to work.
The environment at Loop Capital was always positive and motivating. I worked with and saw individuals who really loved and respected their career regardless of their position within the firm. I took advantage of coffee and lunch informational interviews to learn about how, in particular, women created their successes and maintained their drive within this male dominated industry. This internship also provided me with an environment to think critically beyond the classroom. I was able to put to work my research, communication, and teamwork skills cultivated in college to use. As I worked and learned with twenty-seven other interns in the firm, I also gained an opportunity to interact with some of the future leaders within this field. One of the most powerful outcomes of my internship was my ability to better understand Wellesley’s mantra of “Wellelsey Women Who Will” by being involved in the leadership of a minority business within the global economy.
Arlevea Freeman ’15