From RTSWS Student CEO to Wharton Senior
In a recent interview, Marilyn Shi reflects on her experience as a Student CEO, along with her continued involvement through the RTSWS Alumni Council and Career Center. As she prepares for her senior year at the Wharton School, Marilyn shares advice for current students and recent graduates. She also discusses how support from Invesco, mentors and RTSWS helped her identify internships and shape her professional path.
“I joined RTSWS the first year it came to my high school. I was a freshman, and I didn’t know the first thing about finance or Wall Street, but I wanted to try all the new things my school had to offer. It was a really good experience and honestly got me hooked. After that, I never left RTSWS.”
Marilyn highlights the impact of visiting the Invesco offices and meeting team leaders who shared details about their roles. The experience helped make a future in finance feel more tangible.
“When you go into a place like Invesco at such a young age, it makes these things real. That access is so important. We could see the trading floor, what everyone was working on and maybe see a little bit of the future in ourselves as well.”
By the time Marilyn arrived at the University of Pennsylvania, she had already practiced speaking with professionals, developed her résumé and begun building lasting relationships through RTSWS.
“I felt more prepared when I came to Penn. Going to a business school is like RTSWS, but every day and every hour of the day... Thank you RTSWS for everything. I really couldn’t be where I am without you.”
Exploring Careers Across Banking
RTSWS students and alumni are continuing to put their financial knowledge into practice through summer roles across commercial banking, investment banking and capital markets.
These experiences provide opportunities to strengthen technical and professional skills, learn from industry teams and gain a closer look at the many career paths available within finance.
This month, we are highlighting three students beginning summer roles with JPMorganChase, Lazard and Bank of America.
Sophia Manzo RTSWS '24
Columbia University student and 2026 JPMorganChase Commercial & Investment Banking Fellow.
Elaine Esnes, RTSWS ’23
Williams College student and 2026 Lazard Summer Investment Banking Analyst.
Emma Sweeney, RTSWS ’23
Villanova University student and 2026 Bank of America Securitized Products Summer Analyst.
Follow RTSWS for Summer in Finance highlights.
To share your own summer plans, email: alum@rockthestreetwallstreet.com
RTSWS CEO THOUGHTS
Summer Learning, Small Steps and Long-Term Gain
In her latest article, RTSWS CEO Ashley Leftwich reflects on a landmark study from Johns Hopkins University, which found that differences in summer learning opportunities can significantly influence academic achievement over time. More recently, Linda Darling-Hammond of the Learning Policy Institute noted that when high-quality summer programs are well attended, students can gain the equivalent of several months of learning.
That insight resonates with us. We often talk about the power of small, consistent steps compounding into meaningful outcomes over time. Just as compounding works in investing, it also works in learning, confidence-building, and career prep. Summer can be an incredibly valuable season for students to continue building momentum.
FEATURED OPPORTUNITIES
RTSWS Career Center
Explore the sampling of internships and jobs listed below as a glimpse into the exceptional opportunities our sponsors provide.
2027 Global Corporate & Investment Banking
Regulatory Summer Analyst
(Undergraduate students graduating
between November 2027 and August 2028)
Bank of America
New York, NY
Junior Risk Analyst
(Full-time position)
Invesco
Downers Grove, IL
IB Associate - Clean Energy & Power
(Full-time position)
Stifel
Houston, TX
Contact careercenter@rockthestreetwallstreet.com to post internships, entry-level jobs and
industry opportunities on the RTSWS Career Center.
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