I just finished my junior year at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) and I am glad to be interning in my home state over summer break. Born and raised in Anchorage, I graduated from South Anchorage High School with a strong interest in math and science. I joined the Orfalea School of Business at Cal Poly after my first quarter. At the end of my second year, I declared a concentration in finance after taking an Introduction to Finance class. Though it was the most time-consuming class I have taken while at Cal Poly, I thoroughly enjoyed the coursework. I later ended up being a TA for the class, as well as tutoring for it and several other finance courses. I also declared a minor in psychology to fulfill my desire to learn about human behavior and cognitive processes.
Growing up in Alaska, I was fortunate to be born into an adventurous and active family who got me interested in outdoor activities such as skiing, camping and hiking. In high school, I was passionate about my involvement with both the school and local community, joining as many sports teams and clubs as I could fit in my schedule, in addition to volunteering in my free time. I continue to involve myself in the campus community at college. I spent two years on the Cheer and Stunt team, earning a national title in my second year. I also joined Women in Business, as well as the Financial Management Association, where I served on a committee for diversity in finance. I am a founding chapter member of the Delta Gamma sorority on my campus and served as a director. In my free time, I work at a local restaurant and spend my weekends skiing in the winter and at the beach in the warmer seasons. I also developed a passion for travel and took the opportunity to study abroad in Thailand and Cambodia my third year, visiting Vietnam on the way home. I love Cal Poly and am sad to be heading into my last year there.
I am enjoying my time as an intern here, building my knowledge base in the field of finance and applying my coursework to practical applications, along with learning industry specific software programs. I can now maximize your social security benefits for example. I am fine-tuning my excel skills and working towards a Bloomberg Market Concepts certification. My experience here has been very beneficial and I am fortunate to be surrounded by a passionate group of Intellectuals. I am excited to work towards my Masters in Financial Planning and Certified Financial Planner ™ designation after completing my undergraduate degree. I am here until the end of August, hoping to pack in as many Alaskan summer activities as I can.
Erica Loughrey
Summer Intern 2019
7/24/19