Major: Information Sciences and Technology; English
Hometown: Westport, CT
Chapel Executive Intern

How did you learn about this opportunity?

The College of IST has a plethora of career resources which I utilized greatly in my search for an internship. The career fair was a huge assistance, especially as I was on the Pro Expo committee which allowed for a closer look at companies. Another important aspect was the online database of internships which allowed a vast understanding of what type of internships were available to an IST major and where I extensively dropped my resume.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

PwC has a very structured organization that sections off their employees into certain work lines. For this summer, my official title was IT function transformation tech consulting in financial services, specifically asset and wealth management. The main project that I was assigned was an anti-money laundering project for a major wealth management firm. The firm was transitioning their sanction screening system - the system that screens the firm's transactions to ensure that the company is not supporting sanctioned, or dangerous, entities. These systems need to be programmed to generate alerts of entities from global sanctioned lists and to suppress false positive alerts. This saves the company time, money, and legal issues. As a compliance project, my team was in charge of writing the rules for the new system. This was the most rewarding, as it was extremely technical. The nature of the assignment also allowed me to work closely with my team, allowing me to build extremely positive and strong relationships during my short time with the firm.

How did this experience impact you academically?

My English degree was crucial in making me stand out among the 200 other interns. In such a technical field being able to write and speak well was highly coveted.

This experience impacted me academically by being able to utilize my dual majors. Though IST is my primary major, my English degree was crucial in making me stand out among the 200 other interns. In such a technical field being able to write and speak well was highly coveted. I was also able to provide a different perspective through what I had learned through my English classes. The well-roundedness that a Liberal Arts degree has gifted me gave me the ability to succeed.

What are your career goals and plans?  How did this experience impact them?

This internship was extremely enlightening as I look toward my future and career goals. PwC has always been a reach for me throughout my college experience as I understood that I wanted to pursue consulting. The opportunity to be able to have this internship experience prior to committing to a career path has been incredible. It has set me up for success, as I now not only have experience and an established network, but the beginning of a career. While I may not have my dream job figured out, PwC has always been the goal post-college. It is a great starting step as consulting allows tremendous experience and growth in a short period of time. As I continue on my career path I will use the knowledge I obtained with this internship, and PwC, to expand my network and knowledge of the corporate world.

Would you recommend this experience to other Liberal Arts students?

I would definitely recommend that other Liberal Arts students experience this opportunity. With PwC being such a big firm, there are many positions where a liberal arts degree can truly shine. This internship also allowed for real project experience and an amazing initial network.

For more information on internships for Liberal Arts students, visit our website.