As my summer at Forefront comes to a close, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how fortunate I’ve been — not just over the past few months, but throughout my entire college experience. During my time at Duke and now at Forefront, I’ve consistently found myself in environments filled with people who care deeply about the work they do, and just as importantly, about the people they do it with. That combination doesn’t happen just anywhere.
This internship has been much more than a summer job. It’s been a crash course in fintech, agency life and finding my voice in professional spaces.
Here are five things I’ll carry with me long after this summer:
1. Culture isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a daily practice.
At Forefront, culture shows up in the little things: team lunches, random “you crushed it” Teams messages and weekly team meetings filled with shoutouts.
From my very first day, I felt like my voice mattered. I wasn’t just “the intern”; I was part of the team. I knew that if I had a question, someone would help me think through it. And if AI couldn’t answer it (believe me, that happened more than once) I never had to sit with that uncertainty for long. Whether I was learning how to format a newsletter, editing social copy or prepping for a client call, there was always someone willing to walk through it with me.
2. Curiosity is your best tool.
When I started this internship, I barely even knew what fintech meant. Now? I can talk about stablecoins, overnight trading and market surveillance — and actually know what I’m saying. But I didn’t get there overnight, and I certainly didn’t get there alone.
I was never expected to know everything. This was a space where curiosity was encouraged, not seen as a liability. Along the way, I found myself getting excited to read through news headlines and actually understand how they connected to the clients we worked with. I looked forward to our Fintech Conversations, where a member of the team would sit down with me to unpack the latest industry news and trends in our space. Where else does a managing partner sit down one-on-one with an intern to break down capital markets?
Being curious also helped me think in a more structured way. I learned how to zoom out and see the big picture, while still being able to execute on the details. I learned how to connect dots that didn’t initially seem connected. Most of all, I learned that no knowledge is too niche, and no question is too small. If you’re hungry to learn, this is the kind of place where you’ll thrive.
3. Exposure is everything.
Over the past few months, I touched nearly every part of the agency: drafting client copy, clipping podcasts, pitching daily headlines, editing nurture campaigns, tracking analytics, editing Instagram Reels, building newsletters and contributing to KPI reporting. I worked in Google Sheets, Podsqueeze, HubSpot, Adobe Express, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Capcut, WordPress and more. No two days looked the same, and I loved it.
4. Everyone has something to teach you — if you’re paying attention.
This summer, I learned a lot about PR, B2B marketing, fintech and capital markets. But I also learned a lot about people. The Forefront team is full of incredibly talented individuals who are generous with their time, their knowledge and their kindness.
From Alex, I learned how to stay organized in the middle of chaos. From Amanda M., I learned how to pitch a story that makes people care. From Victoria, I learned how to juggle multiple accounts while staying calm and collected. From Amanda P., I learned how to be a manager and a friend.
And the learning didn’t stop with work — mango matchas with Sam R., hiking recs from Mark at a WNBA game, coffee chats with Jane about life in Turtle Bay, talking politics with Eric. Everyone left their mark. Sometimes, the most valuable insights come from unexpected places.
5. The people matter most.
This internship helped me learn more about who I am, what I value in a workplace and what I’m looking for in my career. The relationships made all the difference. Whether with coworkers, managers or clients, they turned coming into the office into something I genuinely looked forward to each week.
More than any hard skill I picked up (and there were many), it’s the people I’m taking with me. Everyone at Forefront gave me the space to learn, grow and show up as myself. I’m leaving with relationships I know I’ll be able to count on well beyond this summer.
Thank you, Forefront, for trusting me, teaching me and reminding me that the best work begins with people who care. I now have a clearer picture of the culture I want to be part of, the kind of people I hope to work alongside and the professional I strive to become. I’m walking away with a stronger sense of direction — and a belief in myself that I’ll carry forward.
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To any future interns: Ask the question, raise your hand, Google what you don’t know and say yes to the random project. The best parts of this internship came from staying curious and diving head first into the unknown.
This summer, I’ve grown into someone who feels confident in my voice, my skills, and my place at the table — and if that isn’t the most I could hope for an internship, I don’t know what is.