As my graduation date rapidly approaches, I am taking in all that college has to offer while preparing myself to enter the working world and post-graduate lifestyle. This summer, I was granted the opportunity to be the Institutional Relationship Summer Associate for Cohen & Steers. Through my internship, I developed strong client service and communication skills by preparing and attending external portfolio reviews with Cohen & Steers portfolio managers & clients. To help the Northeast Relationship Management team prepare for client & consultant meetings, I assisted with production, review, and delivery of client investment reports focusing on performance and attribution. While assigned tasks by my manager, I worked with a team of five interns to analyze COVID's impact on the firm's risk management, technology, and communication systems and presented our research to the firm's executive committee. By connecting with colleagues in different departments, I learned how to build, grow, and chase new clients, best navigate existing relationships, and listen to unexplored opportunities in the pipeline.

Through this experience, I gained great knowledge of financial markets and Cohen & Steers products when it came to fostering client relationships and finding opportunities to deepen the relationship in meaningful ways. I am happy to announce that after completing my internship, I received a full time offer to return to the firm as a Relationship Management Associate in their Relationship Management Department. This past semester at New York University was the best one yet! After completing my internship, this semester I was able to truly focus on my classes, extracurriculars, and campus life. As always, none of these experiences would be possible without the generosity and continued support of MVYouth. Thanks to MVYouth, I will graduate, work for a support firm in a role I am passionate about, and continue to build and explore all life has in store in the best city in the world. Thank you!