“My appointment with CFA Institute is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of finance education and professional standards,” Polwitoon said. “The organization’s commitment to advancing ethics, education and excellence in the investment profession aligns perfectly with the values of the Sigmund Weis School of Business.”

A global organization, CFA Institute sets standards for investment professionals and ensures financial professionals are practicing with the highest standards. As an education content contributor, Polwitoon joins a team of 25 — a mix of Wall Street professionals and higher education faculty — revising all three levels of CFA curriculum. They are making it “less textbook and more real world,” Polwitoon said, with a focus on integrating current Wall Street practices, ethics and financial decision-making to ensure the CFA program remains the global leader in investment profession.

“Everything connects back to CFA’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, which was updated in 2024,” explained Polwitoon. “The revisions we’re working on ensure that ethics remain at the core.”

Polwitoon has a long-standing relationship with CFA Institute, having served in advising roles in the past. He also helped to map °µÍřTV’s finance curriculum with that of the CFA Institute when the university first earned its in 2016, through which students receive discounted CFA exam fees, curriculums aligned with industry standards and access to state-of-the-art materials and research used by professionals.

“Having both AACSB accreditation and CFA affiliation signals that our program meets two of the highest global standards in business education,” Polwitoon added. “Our graduates hit the ground running, and passing the Level 1 CFA exam gives them an even bigger edge in hiring.”

Polwitoon earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, before completing a Master of Business Administration from Northeastern Illinois University and a doctorate from the University of Rhode Island. His research areas include bond mutual fund performance evaluation and corporate governance. His research has appeared in the Journal of Banking & Finance, Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, and the Financial Review — which are among the highest journal rankings according to the Australian Business Deans Council, a standard quality list used by most AACSB programs.

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During her internship, Qose, a double major in economics and finance from Budd Lake, New Jersey, is working with the company’s payroll team on the launch of a maturity model to accurately measure the performance of in-flight markets, collaborating closely with her team members around the globe to measure the progress of projects and find alternate methods for improvement.

“I have really enjoyed learning about the project management field and how it plays an integral role in global services and the company overall. I really like that this is all a learning experience, and everyone is truly here to help me expand my skills and learn new ones as well,” Qose said. “I have also enjoyed the comradery of J&J as everyone is always there to answer questions or lend a helpful hand.”

Despite Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide name recognition, Qose said she felt very prepared for this first step into her professional future, thanks in part to Introduction to Professional Development, a management course from the Sigmund Weis School of Business that emphasizes the connections between career preparation, academic choices and co-curricular activities.

“This internship is giving me the necessary corporate experience I need at such an early stage in my career, and is also allowing me to define my tactical, organizational and technical skills that are valued in all workplaces,” Qose said. “After earning my dual degrees in finance and economics, I plan to find a job at the corporate level working in either risk or asset management. I want to work at an organization that matches my own values and hopefully give back in any way I can, especially as a °µÍřTV alum.”

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Finance major Connor McCormick ’25 interned with the accounting and advice firm CountPlus in Australia. He worked closely with the finance team updating company reports and writing data formulas.

“The greatest lesson I learned throughout my internship experience is how people in positions of leadership want to help you succeed and help you accomplish your goals,” McCormick said. “During my internship, I had numerous conversations with the chief financial officer about ways I can accomplish my goals. My supervisor and other members of the team pitched in and were always willing to help me solve an issue and answer any question I threw at them.”

McCormick, of Center Valley, Pennsylvania, credits the Sigmund Weis School of Business for preparing him for his internship in Sydney. He came into his internship familiar with the material and was able to adapt quickly. McCormick plans to pursue a career in investment banking before transitioning into private equity or the hedge fund sector.

“I know that it will take an insane work ethic and a lot of commitment, but I am excited to see what the future holds,” he said.

Learn more about °µÍřTV’s Department of Finance & Analytics.

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Generation Study Abroad Travel Grants are part of IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative, which aims to diversify and increase access to U.S. college students who wish to study abroad.

Moronta also received the prestigious Cultural Vistas Fellowship this summer, which allowed her to complete an eight-week, international internship in Argentina. She is also a member of °µÍřTV Service Leaders, a service-learning program to influence youth development in the region.

In addition to her $2,000 grant, after completing her GO program to Cuba, Moronta will become a Generation Study Abroad Ambassador and will be invited to share her experience to illustrate the academic and professional benefits of study abroad.

Through its Global Opportunities program, 100% of °µÍřTV’s students study off campus to live and work in a different culture.

“This gives our students an exceptional edge,” added Matthew Rousu, dean of the Sigmund Weis School of Business. “They gain life experience, global aptitude and intercultural competence, all of which are sought by top companies with business interests around the world.”

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“Using mainly a social media platform, GirlCrew created an app in which women can conveniently reach out to one another and plan fun adventures,” Johnson said.

At GirlCrew, Johnson handled marketing analytics while also managing day-to-day challenges that included identifying weaknesses and opportunities regarding the efficiency of the company’s use of social media and finding solutions to advance the company.

“The most challenging part of this experience was adjusting to the Irish culture-or perhaps just the culture of my work environment. Especially in college, I am used to the go-go-go mindset in which I work 110 percent of every second of the day,” Johnson said. “On my first day at GirlCrew, I was actually told that I had completed too much during the work day, and that I really needed to slow down and enjoy the project that I was completing.”

She’s tried to do just that, taking time away from her internship responsibilities to enjoy hiking the lush fields of Ireland.

Johnson plans to attend law school immediately after graduation on her path to becoming a sports agent. In addition to the experience she gained during her internship, she also made valuable connections.

“After I revealed that becoming a sports agent was my career dream, my coworkers set me up with an Irish woman in charge of developing American football in Ireland,” Johnson said. “The diverse academic foundation that I have built at SU has helped me tackle every obstacle sent my way. Even as a marketing major, I have developed the financial background to help solve profit-analysis tasks, the graphic design knowledge to help draw out new ideas for the company, and the communication skills that helped me adapt and speak up for myself throughout our daily meetings.”

Ryan Beckwith ’19, a finance major with a minor in creative writing, spent his summer in Tokyo interning with Titan Consulting, a recruiting agency that specializes in the Japanese healthcare industry.

“My job was to research candidates who are looking for new jobs and try to match them up with job openings in client companies,” Beckwith said. “A few of the clients we worked with are global pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Bayer.”

Beckwith’s biggest challenge was the language barrier, which he was able to somewhat overcome through a Japanese language class and his day-to-day dealings with coworkers.

“The Japanese people were very patient when interacting with me and I didn’t meet anyone that was frustrated about my language limitations,” Beckwith said. “I was able to learn enough Japanese to survive while most people can also speak basic English.”

Tokyo is considered one of the most exciting cities in the world, which was one of the reasons Beckwith wanted to go there.

“There are a lot of reasons I wanted to go to Japan, mainly because their culture is vastly different from the U.S. I knew coming in it would be nothing like I ever experienced before so I really enjoyed it,” Beckwith said. “It goes without saying that SU prepared me well to work in a business environment, but they also taught me about keeping an open mind when learning new things, like diving headfirst into a different culture.”

Jin Zhang ’19, a finance major from Port Trevorton, Pa., worked as a financial advisory intern for United Global Capital, a globally focused investment and financial advisory firm based in Melbourne, Australia, that focuses on private wealth, global property and business advisory.

“I was able to help manage our client’s portfolio, give investment advice and analysis of potential investment opportunities,” Zhang said. “Because United Global Capital is quickly growing, we are consistently getting new clients. Therefore, I was able to take on a group of clients on my own and give them financial advice based on their financial tolerance and economic goals.”

That kind of responsibility came with challenges, Zhang said.

He mentioned having the opportunity to allocate a percentage of a client’s available cash to stocks. Zhang said he had to learn fast from his advisor to calculate accurately and allocate the right amount to each stock share.

It was a test, Zhang said, but one he was able to handle due in part to supportive colleagues.

“It might sound simple, but I genuinely believe that a great company is created by the people who care about each other and want to work with each other to achieve a common goal,” Zhang said. “During my internship, I enjoyed being around the people in the office. Everyone was friendly, patient and cared for me as an intern. We worked on the same projects and figured out solutions.”

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Park works with the doorkeepers, the individuals who make sure the Senate continues to have sessions and who protect the senators.

“Working with the doorkeepers means that I’m in the Capitol building making sure senators get on the floor when they need to speak and vote, and working with the public in the Senate gallery,” Park said.

When the first Congress convened in 1789, the Office of Doorkeeper was established to keep members in the Capitol long enough to begin the business of government and to control public access to the Senate sessions. Later, when the sessions were open to the public, the doorkeeper was responsible for maintaining order on the floor of the Senate and in the galleries. The title of Sergeant at Arms was added in 1798 to reflect the expanded administrative duties of the position.

The Office of the Sergeant at Arms is charged with maintaining security in the Capitol and all Senate buildings, as well as protection of the members themselves.

Park is a sophomore business administration major from Arlington, Va. Though he hopes to pursue a career on Wall Street, he was intrigued when a friend brought this internship opportunity to his attention.

“I wanted to do this internship because it was a résumé booster, and I thought it would be an amazing experience,” Park said.

In the course of his internship, Park has met Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

He’s also been able to ascend to the dome of the U.S. Capitol and to the Speaker’s Balcony.

“I think this internship prepares me for future careers because of the connections I’ve made and the skills that I’ve bettered like public speaking, public relations, and being able to manage a large group of people,” Park said.

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“I wanted to work at Tesla because it is such an amazing company and I love the mission they stand for,” Costa said. “Tesla isn’t only about selling their electric cars or energy products, they are all about transitioning the world into sustainable energy and I think that is very important.”

Costa, a double-major in luxury brand marketing and management and strategic communications, first worked as a customer experience specialist over winter break, and returned this summer to Tesla’s McLean, Va., store.

“My main task is to talk about the company’s mission and products to people who enter the showroom. I talk to them about the company’s mission of transitioning the world into sustainable energy, as well as the characteristics of Tesla vehicles,” she said. “I’m also responsible for collecting customer leads and following up with each customer to offer them a test drive in a Tesla.”

Costa’s role is important. As she has learned through her coursework, marketing luxury products and services presents a number of unique challenges, including the importance of establishing strong relationships with customers. Her experience at Tesla was her first opportunity to put this principle into practice.

Costa credits °µÍřTV’s unique luxury brand marketing and management major-one of the few such undergraduate programs in the country—with helping her profile stand out on her LinkedIn page. She said her Professional Development course helped hone her interview skills and produce a polished rĂ©sumĂ©.

“I hope this position allows me to showcase my experience working in the luxury sector, and marketing to a completely different audience than a regular brand,” Costa said. “The luxury industry is very competitive and hard to get into, so I hope that having this unique experience working for such an amazing company will help me post-graduation.”

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It was a perfect match. In Fleck’s Entrepreneurial Experience class, student teams create, manage and run an organization. The Pinpoint team, consisting of six students, quickly determined that Pinpoint would not be able to compete with other regional drone companies on affordability and accessibility in certain projects such as construction site inspection or building mapping.

Suddenly, the students who had volunteered for the Pinpoint team, were stumped.

“When we looked at the competition in the area, we didn’t know where to go,” admitted senior finance major Kevin Flatley, of Drexel Hill, Pa. “What do we do next? What are we going to do with this project?”

Months of exhaustive research ensued, and the team identified a seemingly untapped market—agriculture.

The team proposed to Kay and Preisz that they market their drones to farmers to assess efficiencies in agricultural practices via infrared drone video. The students identified training opportunities for the co-owners, pinpointed appropriate farms and suggested various equipment upgrades.

All of this from students who previously had no experience in drones or agriculture. Kay and Preisz were “wowed” by their work.

“This class gave us a real-world scenario to deal with,” said senior business administration major Greg Wright, of Bethlehem, Pa. “It was an exercise in trying to come up with solutions that worked within the capabilities of our clients and this company.”

Tyler Elkington, a senior finance major from Kennebunkport, Maine, described the course as more of an internship that allowed them to make a difference.

“We got to help the local community and a local company,” Elkington said.

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Contestants were each given 90 seconds to present their business ideas before taking questions.

Junior David Giordano, a business administration major from Frenchtown, N.J., walked away the winner ($1,000) and crowd favorite ($300) with his pitch for .

Giordano conceived of the idea while working for a franchise of College Hunks Hauling Junk to make money during the summer. With no franchise here, Giordano decided to open his own business. Employing some friends, Giordano removes and hauls away residential items from Harrisburg to Williamsport.

“We are not only preparing our students for the job market, but we are preparing them to create the jobs and business they want to see,” said Amir Bahman Radnejad, assistant professor of management and event organizer. “All of these students have dreams and I thank them for taking a risk here today.”

Seniors Alex Haggerty, a double major in finance and music, and Jessica Portzline, a music education major, won second place ($600) for Fermata, a music store that would offer supplies and services to local musicians. Junior Tyler Green, a luxury brand marketing and management major, won third place ($400) for TG Drones, a business that enhances a golfer’s experience with photography and videography.

Other participants were:

• Shaneeka Emile ’20, biology, Beauty Within, a salon where confidence is developed through the use of beauty tactics, meaningful conversation and a relaxing atmosphere.
• Jude DiGiacomo ’18, accounting, Cereal To-Go, an extension of an already existing product that provides consumers with a convenient and alternative approach to their breakfast routine.
• Jennifer S. Thorsheim ’18, Julia Bodner ’18, Hannah Gruber ’18, all business administration majors, Fairy Godmother, a car service to ensure safe and comfortable transportation for women, by women.
• Christian Coleman ’19, marketing, Lango, a soundboard application for slang that allows users to interact with different terms and phrases from different cities in the United States from a crowd sources database.

Judges were Jeff Reis ’86, founder, Wicked Dog Grille, Selinsgrove, Pa.; Davide Della, owner, Kind Café, Selinsgrove, Pa.; Lauren Elsasser ’13 Smith, manager, franchise performance, Burger King Corporation; Philip DiMuro ’12, CEO and founder, Loople and Shelby McGuigan ’17, marketing associate, Nucleus Brands.

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“Economics assumes that people behave inherently rationally, or that they will act in ways that will result in the highest amount of satisfaction for them,” says McFarland ’17 of Pottstown, Pa. “I have always found these concepts fascinating to apply to life and my own decision-making processes.”

McFarland’s interest in the economics field, combined with the offer of an assistantship scholarship in the economics department, made °µÍřTV an unbeatable match for him.

“While academics and athletics were important, there really was no contest between °µÍřTV and any other college once I was offered the assistantship position with Dr. Rousu,” he explained.

McFarland is a full-time private equity analyst intern at SAP, where he calls on skills from °µÍřTV classes like Corporate Financial Management and Financial Statement Analysis. He’s also a earning a master’s degree in finance at Penn State Great Valley.

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