Dante Cruz, WH ’25, Carrollton, Kentucky
The summer experience that is available to First-Generation Low-Income students is one of a lifetime. A chance to get a serious experience that will be the staple of your resume that will bring major dividends in the future. As a freshman the opportunity to get serious industry experience is one that I’ll take away. That’s exactly what I found interning at the Scholars of Finance this summer. I worked for a non-profit startup that is focusing on creating more ethical students in finance through education. We taught core values that can inspire the future generations to approach their work with excitement and willingness to change.
In the world of finance, people can become disconnected from the individuals that their decision make to the general population. I believe that creating an environment that inspires people to be more ethical in finance will create scenarios that will avoid the financial catastrophes we saw in 2008.
This summer I focused on the non-profit industry and shaping a more equitable world through social media. I focused on brand efforts across our website, podcast, email, PR, social media, design. a tremendous opportunity to invigorate the brand, grow the resources, and deepen the impact of an organization making a systemic impact on the world. I was able to create six podcast episodes that featured executives from large financial institutions and hear their stories.
Overall, the experience was eye opening. As a student interested in Investment Banking, this internship has interested further exposure into ESG and diversity. I understand that in the future, I’ll be able to make impact decision, and I’ve gained the foresight to consider the range of my impact. I’ve gained a further understanding on how companies can use their resources to positively influence change in markets and the key companies that they are invested in.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2022 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here.
