Each summer, students from the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics gain valuable professional-level exposure through internships. This year, young scholars were able to traverse the complications of COVID-19 by pursuing an array of internships, externships and other professional development opportunities. Each profile of this series will detail a Lerner student’s experiences working remotely on business-oriented projects.
Keaton Stott, a Class of 2023 business analytics and finance double major, spent his summer working on founding a new Venture Capital Club at UD.
Q: What are you doing this summer to develop your readiness for your future career?
Stott: I have been working on founding a Venture Capital Club at UD, which has been an amazing experience for me in preparing for a career in investment banking. In the process of setting up the club, I have had the privilege of speaking with a number of UD alumni who work in the industry, which has been an incredibly informative and valuable experience. In addition to working on establishing the Club, I have taken advantage of the wonderful opportunity that UD has offered us by providing access to Wall Street prep. I have also been keeping up with daily current events through the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Finally, I’ve been immersing myself in Lerner Career Services Center Director Jill Pante’s Career Webinar Series, which I have found profoundly beneficial in developing career readiness.
Q: How did the coronavirus response impact your summer plans?
Stott: I applied to many summer internships, all of which were canceled due to COVID-19. I was also planning on working as a part-time camp counselor at a local YMCA summer camp, which was canceled as well.
Q: What did you learn through this experience that you don’t think you would have learned anywhere else?
Stott: Through this catastrophic pandemic, I’ve learned how quickly and suddenly the entire world can change. This has made me incredibly grateful for what I have. Additionally, I’ve learned that my outlook can dictate how this change impacts me specifically. Although the pandemic has meant some lost opportunities for me, I’ve taken the extra time that it’s given me as an opportunity to do a lot of the heavy lifting in setting up the Venture Capital Club. Finally, I’ve looked at this summer as a very educational experience as it has allowed me to learn about the economic effects of an unprecedented global health crisis.
Q: What is an example of a time you were able to apply something you learned at Lerner to your efforts?
Stott: Through the resources provided by Lerner, I was able to contact a great professional career counselor who guided me in approaching alumni and other industry professionals with confidence regarding the club. Through the outreach I’ve done, I have learned how generous and supportive our Blue Hen alumni base is, and my conversations with them have inspired me to give back to future Lerner students when I become an alumnus.
Q: What have you been doing this summer outside of professional development, just for you?
Stott: I’ve been quite busy this summer working on getting the Venture Capital Club off the ground, but I have also tried to balance that with other COVID-safe activities like biking, longboarding and enjoying the shortened Major League Baseball season!