Where Are They At Now?

This is the part of our website where we have testimonials of actual students that came through our internship program and graduated off to have successful careers.

Emily Gao
College: San Diego State University
Major: Business Management
Year of graduation: May, 2005
Start of internship: January, 2005
End of internship: April 2005
Anything you gained or learned from the IFIS internship?
I learned people skills, the art of multi-tasking; enjoyed working with other interns.
Where are you now?
I am currently in Beijing, China, working as the CFO’s assistant at a big computer software company.
Additional input:
Very flexible work schedule interning at IFIS!

Ryan Malawy
College: University of California, San Diego
Major: Management Science
Year of graduation: 2007
Start of internship: Fall, 2006
End of internship: Winter, 2007
Anything you gained or learned from the IFIS internship?
I acquired great communication skills, and learned how to work in a team environment.
Where are you now?
I will be graduating in the spring, and will start working at Boeing upon graduating.
Additional input:
It’s a great program where students can get some real world experience outside of their studies.

Sokwong Keo
College: San Diego State University
Major: International Economics
Year of graduation: 2005
Start of internship: Fall, 2004
End of internship: Spring, 2005
Anything you gained or learned from the IFIS internship?
The most beneficial experience is having persistence and determination on completing the assignment.
Where are you now?
I am currently working full-time for the Franchise Tax Board.
Additional input:
My only advice is if you feel like you are not challenged and not learning anything, then take it upon yourself to enhance your abilities. The most beneficial experience is gaining valuable work experience and skills.

Tugba Yorukoglu
College: San Diego State University
Major/Degree: Masters
Year of graduation: 2006
When did you start your internship: July, 2006
When did you finish your internship: August, 2006
Anything you enjoyed/learned from the IFIS internship?
I learned basic people skills and acquired business knowledge.
Where are you now?
I am currently a Data Manager at a San Diego firm.
Any additional comments or anything you’d like to share?
Had a great time, and I learned plenty of useful information.

Katie Crossgrove
College: San Diego State University
Major: Business Management
Year of graduation: May, 2007
Start of internship: January, 2007
End of internship: April, 2007
Anything you gained or learned from the IFIS internship?
I learned skills that I had never learned in class. I learned how to interview, analyze insurance and investment plans, and greatly improved my communication skills.
Where are you now?
I am graduating from San Diego State University in May 2007.
Additional input:
IFIS is a great company for students to work for. You can schedule your work hours around your school schedule and hours are very flexible.

Jeremiah Kim
College: University of California, San Diego
Major: Japanese Studies, Minor in Management Science
Year of graduation: July, 2007
Start of internship: September, 2006
End of internship: December, 2006
Anything you gained or learned from the IFIS internship?
I learned the insurance side of the finance industry.
Where are you now?
I am currently attending UCSD as a full-time student, while participating in another internship program at a local investment bank.
Additional input:
Alvin's non-traditional methods force his interns to learn and to grow on their own. Although Alvin does provide support and suggestions, he makes sure that his interns learn on their own, through their own mistakes and successes, which leads to a more satisfying internship experience. Depending on an intern's outlook going into and during the program, the intern can learn a great deal.

Courtney Struzzieri
College: San Diego State University
Major: Business Management
Year of graduation: May, 2007
Start of internship: January, 2007
End of internship: April, 2007
Anything you gained or learned from the IFIS internship?
IFIS allowed me to develop my skills in marketing, product analysis, human resources, administration and supervising, and above all, communication.
Where are you now?
I am graduating in May of 2007 and will be working for Washington Mutual as an Assistant Branch Manager.
Additional input:
The great thing about the internship program at IFIS is that it allows each student to strengthen their existing skill sets while enabling them to develop new ones as well. You walk away with skills that make you valuable in today’s job market.