Recognizing the need to provide Blue Hens a more direct pathway to these opportunities, the Lerner Career Services Center at UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics created the Wall Street/Finance in NYC Prep & Referral Program, with support from Lerner College Dean Bruce Weber, in early 2016.
In September 2016, seven students began the yearlong pilot program.

Lerner College interns on Wall Street

Preparing for Careers in NYC

Article by Lerner Communications Staff November 27, 2017

New internship program at UD’s Lerner College helps participants get started in finance

Wall Street, NASDAQ, the New York Stock Exchange – New York City has been called the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world, and many University of Delaware business students aim to find a career in there.

Recognizing the need to provide Blue Hens a more direct pathway to these opportunities, the Lerner Career Services Center at UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics created the Wall Street/Finance in NYC Prep & Referral Program, with support from Lerner College Dean Bruce Weber, in early 2016.

In September 2016, seven students began the yearlong pilot program.

“The goal of the Lerner Wall Street/Finance in NYC Prep & Referral Program is to assist students in their summer internship search,” said Jill Gugino Pante, director of the Lerner Career Services Center.

For the first year’s group of students, Pante said, the program had a 100 percent success rate.

Lerner students at the New York Stock Exchange.

“As a result of these unique opportunities provided by Lerner and the support of our alumni, all seven students completed Wall Street/finance internships this past summer,” she said. “We are excited to be welcoming our second cohort of students this fall.”

The Wall Street/Finance in NYC Prep & Referral Program aims to provide qualified students interested in working on Wall Street and/or finance in New York with:

Training on technical and qualitative finance interview prep online courses
Networking opportunities with members of the Lerner NYC Dean’s Council and UD alumni working in Wall Street/finance in NYC
Company tours in the city
Referrals to alumni and HR connections in Wall Street/finance in NYC

One such student, UD senior finance and economics double major Sarah Safer, said that she applied to be in the first group of participants in August 2016 because it was “one of the best opportunities I had come across at the University.”

The program begins with an application period for rising juniors in any major. Applicants complete an application and submit their resume along with a video of themselves summarizing their background, strengths and interest in the program. Through input from several members of the Lerner NYC Dean’s Council, students are accepted into the yearlong program.

Safer and her six fellow program members had a full day on Wall Street last October, meeting with high-level executives and alumni working at Morgan Stanley and networking with members of the NYC Dean’s Council. Throughout the school year, several executive alumni who work on Wall Street/finance in NYC offered their time to the students to hold exclusive one-on-one mock interviewing sessions and to discuss internship and job search advice.

“These opportunities, such as private networking with alumni and trips to NYC with top management at top firms, are truly one of a kind,” Safer said.

Fellow participant Harry Chen added, “This program gave all of us the opportunity and knowledge to prove ourselves in the financial services market.”

“The Wall Street Prep Learning session gave us the tips and tricks to ace the interviews and it provided us with great networking opportunities with alumni who sincerely want to help and expand Blue Hen presence on Wall Street,” said Chen, a finance and hospitality industry management double major who has the goal of one day obtaining a full-time job in New York City.

Jack Westrich, a senior finance major and pilot program member, offered this advice to those thinking about applying to the program: “This is a great experience that allows finance students to get an upper edge if they are looking to pursue banking or a high-level finance job."

This year, the Wall Street/Finance in NYC Prep and Referral Program has almost doubled in size, accepting 12 students for the 2017-2018 school year. This group recently visited New York for their own Wall Street experience.

Current participant Randy Short, a junior in economics and international relations, said that the visit “is extremely productive and insightful, allows us to see the many options available for us in our future career paths, and builds a bridge between what was learned in the classroom and what is expected in the workforce.”

Junior finance major and fellow participant Joseph Lacovara added that so far, the program has provided opportunities like touring the New York Stock Exchange and learning firsthand how the exchange operates.

Kerry Schwartz, a junior finance major and program participant, said, “Connecting with extremely talented and driven alumni who are Blue Hens in Manhattan has opened doors for enriching conversations. Hearing their success on Wall Street has shaped my goals for the future. I am excited to stay in contact with everyone I have met in the program, from the students and faculty to the alumni.”

During a time in students’ lives when finding the right career fit is important. Junior Leah Austin, who is majoring in finance and management information systems, said that the recent trip to New York, “helped me create a mental picture of where I belong relative to finance on Wall Street.”