In the summer of 2024, Gage Fuller, a finance major at Waynesburg University, secured a career-defining internship with the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation’s Pittsburgh office. The lucrative internship gave him an invaluable experience, landing him a full-time position at the global financial institution upon graduation.
Fuller's path to BNY Mellon began with a conversation with associate professor of business administration, William Stough, who brought the opportunity to his attention. Fuller originally had a different internship lined up for the summer of 2024, but the prospect of interning with one of the world's largest banking institutions with more than $50 trillion in assets drove him to reconsider.
"I actually had a different internship lined up for the summer," Fuller said. "I decided to pursue this internship because of my prior banking experience with First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County and the size of BNY Mellon."
This decision would prove worthwhile, allowing Fuller to gain firsthand experience at an international financial services company. He competed with 180,000 applicants, securing one of just 300 open intern positions in the Pittsburgh office and 1,800 globally.
Reflecting on his summer, Fuller remarked on the power of networking with other industry professionals.
"The biggest takeaway I had after my internship was the power of networking; I made so many lasting connections this summer that could help me in my career in finance and banking," he said.
Fuller’s favorite part of the internship was the experience he acquired. He refined his technical skills, working with banking software and Microsoft Office, and at the end of his internship, Fuller was tasked with presenting his work to a group of his colleagues and management.
“My favorite part of the experience was the experience in general,” he said. “At the end of the internship, I presented my work over the summer to all my colleagues and upper management, which was around 100 people. As scary as it was, it really helped me with my presentation skills.”
Interning with such a large organization allowed Fuller to develop not only professionally but personally.
"One of the challenges I faced was the culture shift. I was never really exposed to a city culture or a large corporation," he said.
But despite the initial discomfort, Fuller embraced the experience and used it as an opportunity to grow.
"Week by week, I felt myself becoming more comfortable in that environment," he said. "I used it to my advantage to meet new people, try new things and step out of my comfort zone."
As he gained confidence, he began to see how his education at Waynesburg University uniquely prepared him for his professional career. The University's small class sizes allowed for personalized attention, which helped him grasp complex business and finance concepts.
"Without attending Waynesburg University, I do not think I would have had this opportunity at all," Fuller said. "With the small class sizes and personalized help, I was able to focus on my studies and understand complex business and finance topics. All the professors within the Department of Business Administration have done a great job pushing us outside of our comfort zones by having us do projects that simulate what we will be doing in our professional careers."
Outside of the classroom, Fuller's role as president of the Student Investment Club further prepared him for his future career in finance.
"Having the opportunity to be the president of the Student Investment Club and managing a portfolio has been a blessing. Professor Stough has pushed me to be the best student I can be and set me up for success wherever my professional journey takes me," he shared.
Fuller is excited about the opportunity to begin his full-time role and appreciates the opportunities he's had to get to this point, expressing his gratitude for his mentors and education.
"I am humbled, relieved and blessed. I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who has helped me get to this point in my academic and professional career," he said.
His advice to current and future students is always to appreciate the power of taking initiative.
"My advice is to step outside your comfort zone," Fuller said. "Get involved on campus, attend career fairs and get active in the community. You never know what one conversation can do for you."
A message from Professor William Stough
The Waynesburg University Business faculty is proud of what Gage Fuller has been able to accomplish through his internship experience with BNY and accepting a full-time position.
We were fortunate to receive a call from Shana Quinn, Director of Corporate Accounting at BNY, requesting potential students to apply for their open internships. We felt that Gage was an outstanding candidate.
His summer internship went well and they offered him a full-time position starting in Fall of 2025. In addition, BNY was so impressed with Gage that they came to campus to share other opportunities at the bank with the intermediate accounting class. As a result of this visit, Julia Corey was identified as another potential internship candidate. Julia applied and will begin her internship in the summer of 2025. This is a true testament to the work that goes on in the classroom and the initiative of our students.
We are appreciative of the new partnership we have with BNY.
Congratulations to Gage and Julia!
Department of Business Administration
Learn more about Waynesburg University's Department of Business Administration at the link below.
