91原创

91原创 sophomore Ashley Smith always knew she wanted to be a business major when she left Queens, New York, for college. She credits that to her older sister who works in finance.

鈥淪he would take me to work with her sometimes, and I got to see what she was doing,鈥� Smith said of her sister, who is nine years older. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very interesting that she could build financial models and she could forecast certain things, and it鈥檚 just like she can know how her company is projected to do in like six months to a year down the road. That鈥檚 what pushed me in this direction.鈥�

Now Smith is well on her way to emulating her sister. Smith, a sophomore finance and financial planning and wealth management double major with a minor in business analytics at 91原创鈥檚 , was recently selected for the Summer Intensive Program.

Girls Who Invest (GWI) is a nonprofit organization aimed at increasing the number of women in the investment management industry. The goal of the organization is to create a pipeline of women prepared to succeed in the male-dominated industry. Organizers have curated a tuition-free summer intensive program that includes educational training and a paid internship at a top asset management firm. So far they have taught more than 1,400 students, including 177 in 2021, which was their largest class ever.

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited because it鈥檚 a great program,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淚 heard about it through my academic adviser at 91原创, Mr. Stephen Roberts.鈥�

The summer program has two parts. The first part will begin in late May in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where participants will spend four weeks studying core finance and investment concepts at the University of Pennsylvania. They will also meet company executives from investment firms, participate in a speaker series with industry professionals and work on a summer project to enhance their valuation skills. Room and board on campus are provided by the organization.

After the intensive educational period, each student will move on to their internships at one of more than 100 top investment firms in the U.S. and Canada, and work for six weeks until the program ends in August. Smith will learn about her internship placement in March, and she hopes it will be in New York, which was her first choice and where she can live at home.

Selection process into the internship program

In 2021 some 177 students participated in GWI. Participants must either be enrolled as sophomores at four-year universities or in the process of transferring to one. She completed an early application, which consisted of her writing two essays, answering a series of questions, creating a video about herself and securing recommendations.

鈥淩egarding internships/extracurricular opportunities, from time to time I receive opportunities for students and I often pass them along,鈥� said Roberts. 鈥淕irls Who Invest internship seemed like a great fit for Ashley. I wrote the recommendation and the rest is history.鈥� Roberts said that Smith is organized and that he liked her work ethic.

Roberts was named Smith鈥檚 academic adviser her first year at 91原创 as part of Lerner鈥檚 (鈥淯鈥� Develop Resources for Excellence in Academic Management) Program. 91原创REAM students receive help setting short- and long-term academic goals, enhancing study skills, accessing free tutoring services, managing time, developing organizational skills and getting referrals for other university programs.

鈥淎shley came to 91原创 very focused and disciplined,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淚 noticed this during our initial advising appointment; she took meticulous notes.鈥�

Roberts said he recommended 91原创REAM to Smith to assist with building a sense of community within 91原创 and Lerner, and he quickly learned that she was a high-achieving student.

She started first-year classes virtually during the pandemic and emailed and spoke with Roberts regularly via Zoom. He helped her stay on top of upcoming exams, class schedules, deadlines to turn in work and overall readiness for school. She met other students through 91原创REAM and joined a study group for one of her economics classes. She finished her first year with a 3.7 GPA.

鈥淚 think the program overall was just great,鈥� Smith said of 91原创REAM. 鈥淢y freshman year, I was virtual. I think it would have been very easy for me to get off track and just kind of spiral.鈥�

Similar to the study groups she joined with 91原创REAM, she has met virtually with some of the other young women who were selected for GWI. They are from campuses across the country. She credits her first two years at Lerner for preparing her to work with them. The transition she鈥檚 making from the classroom into internships falls in line with Lerner Dean Bruce Weber鈥檚 idea that Lerner students should benefit from experience-based learning.

鈥淚 consistently recommend and encourage all my freshmen, sophomore, 91原创REAM students to pursue an experience-based learning opportunity as soon as possible,鈥� Roberts said. He said he heavily leans on colleagues in for help with this. 鈥淭he sooner you figure things out the better.鈥�

From accounting to finance, faculty and staff have also impressed upon Smith to not only master academic principles, but also engage with others, network and make connections.

鈥淚 think those are really key things that I鈥檒l have to take into this internship. Things that have been repeated throughout my time at Lerner have been helpful like always make sure that you make connections and just reach out,鈥� she said.

Inspiration came from home

While her older sister did ignite the flame in her to pursue a career in financial services, Smith used her own observations about the world and mixed them with her own brand of altruism to define what her focus in the industry will be. Simply put, she wants to help people instead of just sitting at a desk all day and looking at numbers on a spreadsheet.

鈥淚 would rather talk to a person and help them manage their money,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淪o you know, maybe somebody wants to put their kids through college or finally start a business that they鈥檝e been dreaming about for years. I think Girls Who Invest has helped me realize that I鈥檓 really interested in the financial services side of the finance industry.鈥�

When Smith begins her internship this summer, she鈥檒l be thinking of her family: Her grandmother, who she lovingly refers to as Nana; her dad who works in sales, and her mother who works in human resources, and immigrated from Jamaica at 18 years old to build a life for herself.

Smith is the youngest of four siblings and said that she is ultra competitive and always wants to win. So, after a summer of working at a top asset management firm, coupled with what she鈥檚 learning at Lerner, she鈥檚 secure in knowing that she鈥檒l come back knowing more than she knew before.