Dickinson College
Finance and Business Internship Spotlights
Phuong Thao Nguyen '27
Dickinson students built valuable professional experience through internships in business, finance and data analytics. From developing business intelligence dashboards at the American Bankers Association to supporting investment management initiatives at Pzena Investment Management, they applied classroom knowledge in real-world settings while strengthening technical, communication and networking skills that will support their future careers.
Phuong Thao Nguyen '27
Majors: data analytics and quantitative economics
Internship Site: American Bankers Association
Internship Title: Business Intelligence Intern
How did you obtain this internship?
I found this internship by applying through a LinkedIn job posting. After that, I received an email inviting me to ABA's Intern Day in February. They even sponsored my trip to their headquarters in Washington, D.C., which was something I really appreciated because it gave me the chance to experience the organization before the internship even started.
Intern Day was one of the most memorable parts of the application process. I got to tour the office, interview with my future managers and attend a fireside chat where professionals at ABA shared their career journeys and gave advice about working in the banking industry. I also met and connected with students from many different universities, and it was really interesting to hear about their experiences and career goals. The whole day felt welcoming and gave me a much better understanding of ABA's culture.
Briefly describe what you do for the internship on a day-to-day basis.
I worked with my team to develop and improve business intelligence dashboards that support internal decision-making. One of the main tools I used is App Catalyst, Domo's AI-assisted development tool, which helped me build dashboards more efficiently. During my internship, I contributed to several projects, including an Instance Audit dashboard, a Financial Income Statement dashboard and a Marketing and Event Management Budget & Spend Analysis dashboard. These dashboards help different teams monitor data, track budgets and spending, analyze financial performance and support budget planning and other business decisions. In addition to building dashboards, I also worked with data, validated metrics, troubleshot issues and made improvements based on feedback from my team.
How has this internship better prepared you to excel at Dickinson and beyond?
In addition to my daily work, I had the opportunity to participate in professional development events such as the ABA Business Case Competition, an Atlantic Union Bank visit, an Etiquette Seminar, a Capitol Hill visit, the Housing Visionary Awards Gala and several Lunch & Learn sessions. These experiences gave me a better understanding of the finance and banking industry while helping me improve my communication, collaboration and networking skills.
As an international student, I also became more confident interacting with professionals and building meaningful connections. Back at Dickinson, I believe that I will bring back stronger technical and professional skills, as well as a better understanding of how what I learn in the classroom applies to real-world business.
Have you had other internship experiences previously, and do you plan/hope to intern again in the future?
Before this internship, I interned at KPIM and Datalize.cloud, two business consulting firms in Vietnam, where I gained experience in data analysis and business intelligence. At Dickinson, I have also worked as an economics research assistant (spring 2025) and been a Q-Fellow during the 2025-26 academic year. These experiences have given me valuable hands-on experience working with data. Each internship has helped me grow both technically and professionally, and I would love the opportunity to continue learning from experienced professionals, and gaining more real-world experience before I graduate.
What advice would you offer to peers considering an internship?
My biggest piece of advice is to be resilient and consistent. It's okay to receive many rejections as long as you don't give up. Every application, interview, and experience is an opportunity to learn and grow. I also encourage students to look for internships where they can work with supportive people. One of the best parts of my internship at ABA was the people I met. My managers and coworkers were always willing to teach, answer my questions and support my growth. Having that kind of environment early in your career makes a huge difference, both professionally and personally.
Beyond your internship, what is one aspect of your Dickinson experience that has made the biggest impact on your personal, academic or professional growth?
I think the people and resources at Dickinson also have had the biggest impact on my growth. My professors and everyone at the Center for Career Development have always been incredibly supportive and willing to help, whether it's providing career advice or helping me prepare for interviews.
Dickinson has also given me access to amazing resources and funding opportunities that allowed me to attend career conferences, explore new interests and pursue internship opportunities. Their support has helped me grow academically, professionally and personally, and I'm very grateful for everything the Dickinson community has done for me.
Drew Norton '27
Majors: data analytics and quantitative economics
Internship Site: Pzena Investment Management
How did you obtain this internship?
Networking with a Dickinson alum.
Briefly describe what you do for the internship on a day-to-day basis.
During this internship, I sharpened my presentation and public-speaking skills by working on a project that proposed how to market Pzena's newly launched ETFs to Gen Z investors. I collaborated with a team of four interns throughout the internship to research our recommendations and present them to the entire firm. On a day-to-day basis, I worked on projects to verify and automate database accuracy checks against internal sources, pulled data from platforms such as Bloomberg and FactSet and created data visualizations to help answer client questions.
How has this internship better prepared you to excel at Dickinson and beyond?
This internship has taught me skills I don't know that I will need to improve upon to further advance my career in the future. Additionally, it has taught me how important teamwork and communication skills are in the professional world.
What advice would you offer to peers considering an internship?
It is a great way to gain experience in a professional field and figure out what you might want to pursue as a career. The best way I have found to gain exposure to more opportunities is taking advantage of the Dickinson alumni network. It is a strong network full of people willing to help you gain more opportunities. It isn't the easiest thing to do but reaching out to as many connections as you can to learn more about their role and build those connections is one of the most important steps.
Beyond your internship, what is one aspect of your Dickinson experience that has made the biggest impact on your personal, academic or professional growth?
The biggest impact on my personal and academic life has been being a part of the baseball team at Dickinson. It has taught me valuable time management and teamwork skills I have already begun using in the professional world. It has also opened a vast network full of opportunities and people willing to help out.
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Published September 22, 2026