Intern Reflections
"After graduating from the UW–Madison, I pursued the MS in Computational Finance program at Carnegie Mellon University. I recently accepted a Quantitative Research position at Charles Schwab Asset Management. Looking back, my internship at AERIE Preferred Financial Group was a first important step in my career journey. It gave me valuable exposure to both the professional side of finance and the human side of client communication. I really got to explore analysis and asset management and Laurie offered opportunities to practice, explore real case studies, and increased my understanding of how asset management supports clients’ financial goals. That experience helped me build a much stronger foundation in finance and gave me early confidence in the field. Just as importantly, I learned about communication, talking directly with clients and observing how Laurie communicated with her clients. Seeing the way she values trust, explained ideas clearly, and maintained strong relationships taught me that success in finance is not only about technical knowledge, but also about understanding and serving people well. I am very grateful for my time at AERIE Preferred Financial Group and for Laurie’s guidance and support. This experience played an important role in shaping my professional growth and helped set me on the path I am on today."-- Rick Su, former intern at AERIE
"My time at AERIE has been amazing. This was my first internship, and it has taught me so much of financial planning/wealth management from opportunities to chat with company reps to working on accounting, the experience is one I am very grateful for. Never be afraid to ask Laurie a question or shy away from challenging tasks, and try to learn as much as possible. Know that Laurie truly wants to see you succeed in whatever you do." Brian Bossard, former intern at AERIE
"The experience at AERIE allowed me to grow professionally through real-life practice and exposure to all of the wealth planning process. I was able to try new things, work on projects of interest to me, and see a real impact from my work. I will take this experience as an essential piece of my future career. This internship filled in the gaps and taught me many financial concepts that college did not!" -Blake Barry, former intern at AERIE.
"Learning from Laurie and having the opportunity to work on real and impactful projects has been an invaluable experience for me. Interning for Laurie has been an amazing opportunity to learn and grow professionally, and I would recommend the position to any student interested in learning more about financial planning and wealth management." - Evan Daly, former intern at AERIE.
"AERIE has taught me valuable skills that I will carry forward into my future in finance. One of the most impactful parts of this internship was seeing the real-world application of what we learn in class. Understanding how wealth management is practiced outside of textbooks was eye-opening. I appreciated the feedback I received, and I learned a lot by taking on real tasks and responsibilities. I’m grateful for the opportunity to explore financial planning concepts introduced by the mentorship and to see how they are applied in service, investment strategy, and daily operations at AERIE. Shadowing an Advisor, understanding real-world case studies, and learning how technological improvements affect the day-to-day tasks of an advisor taught me adaptability. This internship gave me a better understanding of the areas I’m most interested in pursuing within the financial services industry. It also deepened my knowledge in wealth management by understanding real-world cases and their applications. Overall, this experience helped clarify my future goals and deepened my interest in wealth management." - Cansin Ozsoy, former intern at AERIE.
"The experience I've gained at AERIE Preferred is invaluable. Laurie is very experienced and passionate on career. With the guidance, I'm able to learn various aspects of the financial market and wealth management, which I believe will facilitate my future career." - Anson Lhen, former intern at AERIE.
"Thank you for the wonderful opportunities you provided in AERIE Preferred. My understanding of financial planning and wealth management has evolved from knowledge to a concrete, practical understanding. I would never have been able to learn how to do these things without actually doing the work. I also want to thank you for being kind and open in answering my questions and providing feedback and guidance. I truly feel joy inside when my ideas make an impact ." - Eric Lu, former intern at AERIE.
"I've recently started a job as a research assistant at the Investment Company Institute! During my interview, my internship at AERIE was a major focus of our discussion, and the internship prepared me well for the role itself. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with you last semester and want to thank you again for all of your guidance. I'm now about four weeks into my position at ICI, and I frequently refer to the knowledge and skills I gained from you and AERIE. Additionally, I've followed many of your suggestions, such as exploring accounts, and your expertise has been invaluable in helping me transition into this new phase of my life." - Taylor Kelly, former intern at AERIE.
"Laurie is a financial professional who truly cares about people's lives, concerns, and interests. While working at AERIE, I gained a well-rounded understanding of the financial market and also the value of integrity, patience, and knowledge needed in working with people. Working with other interns and Laurie (and can't forget Prince) gave me a new appreciation of the field of financial advising." - Darion Allen, former intern at AERIE.
"The internship experience at AERIE is a valuable asset to me. It not only helped me develop a better understanding of financial markets but also helped me develop my professional skills and communication skills, which are very essential for my future work. I really suggest every student who wants to do relevant work in this field should try this great opportunity of working at AERIE if you have the chance." - Rick Su, former intern at AERIE
"My experience in AERIE PFG was extremely valuable! I was introduced to financial planning software, analyzing sample annuities, IRA, and 401 (k) contracts. In addition, listening to meetings with Laurie also helped me better understand the emotional component of people's risk tolerances, which is essential for financial planning. I was able to leverage my experience at AERIE in interviews and received full-time offers from a wholesale bank and an investment management firm. To new interns, don't forget to ASK questions during the internship! Laurie is super knowledgeable and enjoys explaining how your questions relate to life and her business!" - Thomas Morton, former intern at AERIE.
"In order to make your experience the most there, having a consistent schedule is very valuable. This can make your everyday experience here enough to make great progress on the current open intern projects. Working at AERIE is a great opportunity for new professionals who just graduated or are still studying in college. You will gain real practice in financial planning and many other tasks in this industry. As a new intern, you should take advantage of Laurie's professionalism and enthusiasm in order to make your biggest growth." - Ray Zeng, former intern at AERIE.
"Interning at AERIE Preferred Financial Group was a valuable and rewarding experience. My internship has given me the opportunity to see so much more about the Wealth Management and Financial Planning field than what I am able to learn in the classroom, and gain hands-on experience in maintaining a financial statement for both budgeting and tax purpose. The supportive environment Laurie created within the organization helped me grow both personally and professionally." - Yudan Ding, former intern at AERIE.
"I would like to say thank you so much for everything you have done to teach me about your career and the financial planning industry overall. This was the perfect first step of my career and I couldn’t thank you enough for that…. you did an amazing job of answering any questions I had and going deep into explanation with your answers so I learned more than I was expecting. You also gave me exposure to all the different aspects of the career (accounting, marketing, account paperwork, online software, etc.), which was great experience that I am sure to use in my career." - Emily Samuels, former intern at AERIE.
"Establishing trust and confidence is imperative in this industry and is the values sought-out most by the best financial institutions. Laurie embodies these qualities and learning these skills at AERIE Preferred is what subsequently landed me my position in investment banking." - Andrew Hipke, former intern at AERIE.
"What struck me most about my experiences at AERIE was the hours in relationship development with other professionals and people she works with directly. Anyone I spoke to had high regard for Laurie and knew she cared about them and their overall well-being" - Matthew Petrosky, former intern at AERIE.
"My internship experience at AERIE Preferred Financial Group was an excellent opportunity to learn and grow professionally. Laurie provided me with a tailored approach to learning about the industry, her business practices, and allowing my experience to match my interests within the financial planning industry. She is extremely knowledgeable and takes the time to share her insights about this line of work. I am beyond grateful for this experience and would recommend Laurie to any student seeking an internship experience with an advisor with integrity, values, and trust." - Bennett DeBouche, former intern at AERIE.
"I was able to land a position with a lending company as a credit analyst! I also passed two sections of the CPA exam in the past half year, and I'm looking to pass the next two by October! After that, I am looking to take the CFA! I see many great opportunities ahead of me, and it all happened because of my internship with AERIE which gave me a lot to talk about during interviews! Thank you so much for helping! I look forward to catching up more often!" - Shuhan, former intern at AERIE
"Overall, I had an amazing experience being an intern at AERIE PFG. This internship was an extremely beneficial and helpful experience that showed me the various aspects of financial planning. Laurie is extremely knowledgeable and helpful when providing insights on financial planning & business, as a whole. I am extremely grateful for all of Laurie's help and knowledge she gave me, especially helping me to grow as a person and discover my passions." - Hunter Beaudry, former intern at AERIE
"I worked as a summer intern at AERIE Preferred Financial June-August 2016. I cannot thank Laurie enough for giving me an excellent opportunity to learn about wealth management and financial planning. Her guidance and knowledge helped me understand the intricate world of finance. As an intern, I was exposed to many aspects of financial planning, investment instruments, retirement planning, and insurance. I saw the various linkages between financial institutions and the regulations that govern each. Laurie is an excellent mentor, whose philosophy of financial planning is focused on the importance of communication with people she helps and an environment of honest expectations with each person individually. I would suggest to any future intern to use this opportunity to inquire and explore each facet of the work. It is seldom that an organization offers a chance to learn such diverse skills, from accounting, and financial planning to marketing and client relationship management." - Asawari Sathe, former intern at AERIE, current Vanguard Senior Economist (2022).