For Daniels School finance majors Autumn Sanchez and Leah Burks, an internship with Edward Jones offered far more than technical training. It provided a firsthand look at the human side of financial advising — and the confidence to see themselves thriving in the industry.
Sanchez (BSF ’26) describes her time with Edward Jones as a transformative step in her career journey. “The biggest takeaway from my experience was realizing how much mentorship and trust influence personal and professional growth,” she says. “My financial advisor treated me like a capable professional from day one. She gave me responsibilities that pushed me to grow and always believed in my potential.”
That encouragement helped Sanchez build confidence in her future path as a financial advisor. She quickly discovered that success in the profession is not just about technical knowledge. “It’s about showing up consistently, building meaningful relationships and being someone clients can trust,” she explains.
The internship gave Sanchez a chance to put classroom lessons into practice. She worked directly with clients, supported daily operations and helped coordinate major events — including a two-day open house, a Social Security webinar and a client appreciation dinner with more than 55 attendees. She also sharpened her communication and time-management skills, handled sensitive financial information and built confidence in independent problem-solving.
“These experiences taught me more than I ever could have learned in a classroom,” says Sanchez, who continues to work for Edward Jones part-time. “I’ve grown tremendously because of it.”
What I’ve learned is that being a financial advisor is really about helping people. That’s what excites me most about this career.
Autumn Sanchez
BS Finance ’26
The internship also laid the groundwork for her long-term career. Sanchez completed the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam during her time at Edward Jones and is now working toward earning her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation. After graduation, she plans to return to her hometown in Illinois to begin building her own Edward Jones practice. “Being able to support the community I grew up in is very meaningful to me,” she says. “This experience has given me the tools to take that next step forward.”
Burks (BSF ‘26), a fellow finance major at the Daniels School of Business, says the internship revealed just how central relationships are to financial advising. “My biggest takeaway is that there’s much more to financial advising than meets the eye,” she says. “Success in this field is rooted in trust. Many client meetings don’t begin with a handshake, but with a hug and a few shared laughs.”
Burks notes that each financial advisor brings a unique approach to running their office, and learning from those different perspectives helped her see the importance of connection and collaboration. “Maintaining relationships and having open conversations about what’s worked — and what hasn’t — is key to continued growth and success,” she explains.
Her internship responsibilities included booking appointments, organizing office materials, transferring client data into a new system and building Excel tables to improve efficiency. She also planned an open house for clients and attended professional conferences where she connected with advisors across the firm.
"One of the most impactful parts of my experience was sitting in on client meetings,” Burks says. “It gave me valuable insight into effective communication and relationship-building.”
Like Sanchez, Burks valued the professional development opportunities provided by Edward Jones, including networking events and study support for the SIE exam. “I had a very positive experience and truly enjoyed learning more about what the financial services industry has to offer,” she says. “This experience helped me realize that I thrive in a workplace built on strong client and team relationships.”
From the firm’s perspective, the internship program benefits both students and Edward Jones advisors. Karissa Mooney, a Lafayette-based CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® with the firm who coordinated the program, says internships allow branches to get a feel for what it would be like to bring Purdue graduates on board long-term.
Success in this field is rooted in trust. Many client meetings don’t begin with a handshake, but with a hug and a few shared laughs.
Leah Burks
BS Finance ’26
“It also gives us in the local branch an opportunity to see what having another teammate may be like,” Mooney says. Interns typically sit in on client meetings, plan seminars and open houses, help with community outreach and manage administrative tasks.
Mooney praises the Purdue students. “They are detail-oriented and have a strong work ethic,” she says. The experience has been so positive that she currently has two Purdue students working part-time in her office and hopes to continue expanding the partnership. “We plan to continue to build upon our relationship with Purdue. This could potentially mean more connections and hopefully careers for Purdue students.”
For Sanchez and Burks, the experience with Edward Jones confirmed that finance is not just about numbers but about people. Both came away with technical skills, professional growth and — most importantly — a clear vision of how they want to build their futures.
“What I’ve learned is that being a financial advisor is really about helping people,” says Sanchez. “That’s what excites me most about this career.”
