My name is Destini Clark and I am a rising junior from New Jersey. I am majoring in Public Policy Studies with an Economic Policy Pathway and am earning a certificate in Markets and Management Studies. This summer, I interned at Gruccio Financial Services in Vineland, New Jersey as a financial operations intern and then packed my bags to head to Switzerland for Duke in Geneva!
During the beginning of my summer, I had a great time helping my boss to manage the data of over 500 of his clients. I made sure that their information was accurately represented in CRM (customer relationship management) software. In addition, I spent a great deal of time everyday keeping a close eye on the markets and learning about the pros and cons of various annuities and mutual funds and reporting my findings. I had the chance to go to Chamber of Commerce meetings where I learned how small businesses were impacted by state legislation as well. I was also able to visit several schools and sit in during client meetings, where I helped my boss pitch his services. Finally, I was able to get creative by helping to write two newsletters, one on tax-loss harvesting and the other on geo-political risk, for my boss’s website. My job was enjoyable, fast-paced, and gave me a great introduction to the financial services industry.
Shortly after wrapping up my internship, I caught a flight to Geneva, Switzerland. The 6-week program was an adventure to say the least! In addition to taking challenging and insightful classes in the Public Policy and MMS departments, we had every weekend free to travel around Europe. I was grateful enough to have visited Mallorca, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. While in Geneva, we took trips to the World Trade Organization, International Labor Organization, Procter & Gamble, and many more incredibly important places. I have never taken so many flights in such a short time period!
I was fortunate enough to know, going into college freshman fall, that I wanted to earn the MMS Certificate. As a result, I have taken a lot of MMS courses already -ranging from Global Cultures to International Business- and have enjoyed each and every one of them! I believe that all of my MMS professors have prepared me not only for this past summer but for my future as a business professional. The most important lesson I learned from my experiences is that the world TRULY is yours!
Destini is writing as part of our Summer Guest Blog series. We will be featuring students in MMS all summer as they travel on study abroad trips and internships. For updates on future students' experiences, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Markets Management Studies
