Summer 2026 Intern Spotlights

Our summer interns completed their internships this month, and we’re proud of everything they accomplished.

From meaningful projects and hands-on learning to mentorship, collaboration, and new connections across the firm, they embraced every opportunity to grow. Their reflections highlight the experiences, relationships and professional growth they gained throughout the summer.

Read through to see what stood out most from their time at Hightower.

Q: What has been your favorite part about interning at Hightower?

Sia Hazareesing, Technology Intern
“My favorite part has been the exposure to so many different areas of IT. Before this internship, I didn’t realize how many specialized teams work together behind the scenes. Everyone was incredibly generous with their time, and I had the opportunity to meet with leaders across cybersecurity, governance, data analytics, enterprise applications, and endpoint management. Those conversations gave me a much better understanding of the different career paths within technology.”

Gurdas Kakar, Risk Intern
“My favorite part about interning at Hightower is I was involved in meaningful work from the beginning. I never felt limited to traditional intern responsibilities. My manager gave me opportunities to lead calls, ask questions, offer critiques, and contribute to important discussions. That trust made me feel like a member of the team and helped me become more confident in a professional environment.”

Beau Hartmann, Wealth Solutions Intern
“My favorite thing about interning at Hightower the culture of collaboration and the willingness of all of my coworkers to answer any question I might have about their role and how they take time to stop and explain the thought process behind how they do things.”

Faiz Tariq, Cybersecurity Intern
“My favorite part has been learning from people across the organization. Through shadowing opportunities, Lunch & Learns, and team meetings, I gained exposure to cybersecurity, technology, operations, compliance, and wealth management. It helped me understand how different teams work together to support advisors and clients.”

Diya Mokha, Advisor Services Intern
“My favorite part of interning at Hightower has been the opportunity to build relationships and connect with people across the firm, both within and beyond my team. The Lunch & Learn sessions have been a highlight for me, as they were a wonderful opportunity for us to get valuable advice from the leadership of the company. Overall, the people at Hightower have been central to making my experience what it was. Everyone has been incredibly warm, welcoming, and inspiring.”

Dylan Elfsten, Investment Solutions Intern
“Without a doubt, the people. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming, and there’s a genuine open-door culture where people are willing to connect, answer questions, and help you learn. That’s been the most valuable part of the internship for me. It’s an environment where people truly want to invest in your growth, and that’s made coming to work every day exciting.”

Ben Miller, Advisor Services Intern
“My favorite part has been learning how advisor operations work and seeing how small workflow improvements can make a big impact.”

Shreeya Viswathmula, Technology Intern
“My favorite part has been the people, the opportunity to learn from different teams through meetings, coffee chats, and cross-functional projects helping me connect with professionals in technology, business operations, product, change management, cybersecurity, and more. I’ve also appreciated the autonomy to work through problems myself and be given the space to share and implement my ideas.”

Q: How have you applied what you’ve been learning in school to your time at Hightower?

Olivia Landers, Accounting and Finance Intern
“One thing I’ve learned in school is the importance of networking. At Hightower, I’ve had the chance to connect with so many talented people and learn from their experiences.”

Anton Kudar, Investment Solutions Intern
“As a Finance and Economics major, I was able to apply a lot of the concepts I learned in class to real-world investing. My coursework helped me understand market trends, valuation techniques, interest rates, and economic conditions. At Hightower, I used those foundations while analyzing fixed income securities, reviewing company fundamentals, and helping construct portfolios. The internship helped bridge the gap between classroom concepts and how investment professionals actually make decisions.”

Imad Amra, Technology Intern
“I applied a lot of the problem-solving skills I picked up from my programming classes while working on this project. Although, for the most part, I was learning a lot of new things as I progressed through the internship, things I may have never learned from school, which I’m really grateful for.”

Lila Konrath, Accounting and Finance Intern
“My coursework provided a strong foundation in accounting, finance, and Excel, but this internship taught me that there are some things you can only learn by doing the work. I was able to apply concepts from the classroom to projects in Financial Reporting, Treasury, and Tax while also developing skills that cannot be taught in a textbook. The experience showed me that learning does not stop when you leave school; it accelerates when you are willing to ask questions and learn from those around you.”

Naiya Rajpal, Accounting and Finance Intern
“Whether it was organizing information from a meeting, conducting research, or working through data to draw a conclusion, I found myself applying concepts I learned in class to real-world situations. At the same time, my experience at Hightower helped me understand how those academic, business-related concepts translate into the professional world.”