Interning in Private Equity as a Sophomore

Name: Jonathan Hanitio

Year: Sophomore

Major: Economics

Minor: Business Institutions

CFS Program: Field Studies in the Modern Workplace

Employer:  Tyree & D’Angelo Partners

I am currently interning at Tyree and D’Angelo Partners: a private equity firm in Chicago that focuses on making acquisitions in the lower middle market. I am currently an economics major, but I have always been interested in business and finance. While I am involved in several business and finance clubs on campus, this is no substitute for an actual internship in the financial sector. Luckily for us, The CFS office has a vast network of employers that allows students to gain unique experiences with firms that are otherwise inaccessible to students. To be able to intern at a private equity shop—especially in the heart of Chicago—as a sophomore is truly a unique experience, and it has been crucial in my professional development and career exploration.

At Tyree and D’Angelo Partners, I have the additional benefit of working hand in hand with Kellogg MBA interns as well, and this opportunity allowed me to tackle challenging projects and assignments with the guidance of a Kellogg MBA intern. I am able to learn what it takes to develop an investment thesis, build the pipeline of a deal process, and see what key decisions are being made to acquire a potential acquisition. Such an experience cannot be taught in the classroom, and it has truly been an invaluable learning experience so far.

On the other hand, my supplementary classroom experience in the CFS Modern Workplace class has been a very thought provoking one. Classroom discussions center on the historical political theory of ‘work’ and our discussions have included engaging debates on the rhetoric of historical figures like Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Such discussions are relevant to every student who begins to experience the workplace through their internships, and exposes us to different yet valid points and perspectives that can be brought to our own individual workplaces. Overall, this experience has been the highlight of my Northwestern experience so far, and is something I strongly encourage every student at Northwestern to do.