At Verger, we're proud of the internship program we've built, and this year's group is a great reflection of why. Looking back on the first half of 2026, we’re grateful for the talented students we've hosted and for the wide range of perspectives and personal and academic backgrounds they’ve brought through our doors.
This year's interns study finance, economics, mathematics, and business across five different schools and have each pursued a distinct path into the investment industry. For example, Max Smirnov came to us from Alfred University in western New York (Craig Thomas's alma mater!) after moving from Kyiv, Ukraine to study in business the U.S. This summer, Mary-Dell Currie, a field hockey player, lacrosse athlete, and rising senior at the local Reynolds High School, spent a week with our team shadowing meetings and getting an early look at what a career in investing might look like.
While our intern program is primarily about combining mentorship with practical investment industry experience, we always (in true Verger style) leave room for some fun. Joining together to celebrate National Intern Day on July 30, our Summer 2026 interns took to the soccer field with members of the Verger team for some Winston-Salem sunshine and friendly competition.
In this latest edition of our Intern Spotlight Q&A series, we hope you enjoy getting to know this year's cohort as much as we've enjoyed working alongside them.
Robert: My favorite was the capstone project, where I selected, researched, and presented an ETF to the investment team. The research process taught me a lot about how to evaluate a fund's strategy and positioning, and presenting to the team was a valuable experience that pushed me to think critically and defend my conclusions.
Alex: My favorite project was also the Verger Intern Capstone Project. It gave me a comprehensive look into the research required to analyze and understand a fund from the ground up. I specifically focused on a sustainable clean energy transition fund, which allowed me to dive deep into its investment strategies, past performance, and how the fund manager picks companies. It was interesting to bridge how a fund manager operates with how Verger applies its own analytical framework to evaluate those opportunities from an institutional investor's perspective.
Max: My favorite was a research project where I analyzed and reviewed AI tools for investment management. I'm very interested in technology and AI, and it was great seeing what kinds of applications are being developed in the investment world and how investment teams think about them internally.
Harper: One of my favorite projects was researching commodity markets and helping develop an investment recommendation for a real assets portfolio. I enjoyed analyzing sectors such as energy, industrial metals, agriculture, and precious metals while considering macroeconomic trends, geopolitical developments, and portfolio construction. The project challenged me to combine quantitative analysis with investment reasoning.
Elena: My favorite project from the summer was the Capstone project. It was my first experience researching commodities, and it was exciting to learn how those markets work and are affected by current world events.
Robert: Being immersed in a professional environment helped me develop the soft skills and pick up on the norms that you really only learn by being in the room. I especially valued sitting in on meetings with current and prospective managers, which gave me a chance to sharpen my professional communication and get comfortable with industry terminology.
Max: I learned that in my professional career, I'd love to be part of a close-knit, collaborative team. I loved how Verger's structure invited more collaboration across different departments and how the office felt like a true community.
Harper: One of the biggest lessons I'll take away from Verger is the value of collaboration and curiosity. Everyone on the team was willing to answer questions, explain their thought process, and involve interns in meaningful discussions. That environment encouraged me to ask better questions, think more critically, and recognize that successful investing is built on continuous learning and teamwork rather than having all the answers immediately.
Elena: I found the workplace culture exciting because of its interactive and inviting nature. The team was open to helping and supporting each other whenever needed, which showed me the importance of collaboration and how it can drive success.
Vince: I learned how important it is to have a culture that people want to be a part of. Knowing how intertwined and respectful everyone is here was very refreshing. A specific example: everyone knows each other's schedule. I think it's great that people have time for their families, hobbies, and everything else. I really hope to find a place like this for my career.
Mary-Dell: Throughout my week here, one thing stood out to me: the culture at Verger is unique and special. The team is tight-knit and intentionally built, and everyone's role is valued and important.
Robert: My view has changed significantly. I came in with a fairly narrow understanding, but I quickly realized how many different strategies and investment opportunities exist beyond what I'd been exposed to. Learning how to identify strong opportunities (and just as importantly, the ones that actually fit a portfolio's specific needs) has been one of the most valuable takeaways from my time here.
Alex: Prior to this internship, I viewed asset management primarily as an analytical field focused on data and number crunching. But I've learned that direct personal interactions and conversations are equally important in fund selection. By frequently sitting in on fund manager calls, I got to see firsthand how investment professionals develop and rationalize complex market strategies, and how important it is to cultivate a deep understanding of fund managers and their differentiating strategies through active conversation.
Max: For me, personally, the most appealing part of E&F asset management is the type of clients it serves and the alignment in values and goals between the two. Managing money for charitable and nonprofit organizations has much wider implications than P&L alone: that feeling of contributing to something good is what appeals to me most.
Harper: I found the long-term investment approach of endowments and foundations especially compelling. Rather than focusing on short-term market movements, the emphasis is on building diversified portfolios that can support an institution's mission for decades. Learning how manager selection, asset allocation, and risk management work together to meet long-term objectives gave me a greater appreciation for the strategic nature of institutional investing.
Elena: I really enjoyed learning how asset management differs because of an Endowment and Foundation's priorities. Managing risk and return has a unique focus as a result, and it was valuable to understand the "why" behind the decisions that were made when investing.
Alex: The most interesting thing I learned was the balance between quantitative and qualitative analysis in investment research. The Capstone project let me learn more about data collection and run quantitative models, but I also learned the importance of the qualitative side. Researching fund histories taught me how to analyze historical performance while simultaneously evaluating a fund manager's unique thought process and investment strategy.
Vince: After sitting in on manager meetings, private equity is something that has really piqued my interest. I'd also thought I might want to go into wealth management, mainly to keep a relationship-based career and truly try to help others. But the challenges and nuances of PE are very interesting to me, and something I'll be exploring over the next few months.
Elena: A skill I learned at Verger that I want to apply to my future is to ask questions. Whether it was me or one of my peers, asking questions could lead to significantly more information. The team was always welcoming of questions, and it showed me that being curious about the details is important to getting the full picture.
Vince: I'm being truthful when I say that I feel like I've learned more during my time here at Verger than in almost all of my classes at school. There were a lot of terms I'd heard of but didn't fully understand until my time here. I'm very grateful for the opportunity, time, and effort that's been given to me, and I'm excited to use my knowledge to invest in the lives of others, like Verger does.
Thank you to Robert, Alex, Jesper, Max, Harper, Elena, Vince, and Mary-Dell for your many contributions this year!
For more information about Verger's Internship Program, including how to apply, please visit our Careers page.