My Bradley Internship at DVI

By Jade Laverdiere

I’ve always been interested in numbers and the business world, so when I decided to come to Bradley, I enrolled as a finance major with a vague sense of what a future career could look like. I was drawn to Bradley’s smaller campus size and the school’s emphasis on helping students find real-world, professional experiences while they are undergraduate students. When I joined Bradley’s IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), I saw how I could help people with their personal finances, which can make a real difference in their lives. I’ve now declared a personal finance major, which sets me on the path to becoming a Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®).

Freshman year, I attended the job fair where I first learned about David Vaughan Investments, LLC (DVI). Even though I wasn’t eligible to apply for the firm’s summer internship, I was drawn to DVI’s values, which set them apart from other financial planning services I researched. The more I learned about DVI’s commitment to its clients and the community, the more I knew I wanted to apply for the 2023 Summer Analyst position after my sophomore year.

After a comprehensive interview process, I started as a Summer Analyst in May 2023. From day one, I was surprised by how hands-on and purposeful my work was. I had opportunities to work in DVI’s different departments—Investment Management, Relationship Management—and I completed case studies that replicated real scenarios for mock clients.

Working closely with DVI Associates helped me learn more about the wealth advisory and asset management strategies that have been so successful throughout the firm’s history. From learning the nuances of financial software, to joining the weekly Investment Committee meetings, to hearing stories that encapsulated DVI’s history and values, I felt like every day of my internship exposed me to important experiences that I’ll use when I enter the field after graduation.

One of my most important things I learned from this experience is how to talk to clients about their investments. I saw first-hand how the most astute portfolio and relationship managers were able to use financial statistics and equity reports to tell a financial story that clients could understand, even if they had no prior financial industry knowledge.

I’ve continued working at DVI part-time throughout the fall semester, where I continue to gain opportunities that allow me to apply what I’m learning in my Bradley classes to real-world financial planning experiences.

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