Intern Spotlight: Madeleine McNell | Paris, Fall 2017

Madeleine interns in the trading room of the Institutional Investors Division of a prestigious French bank three days per week and attends classes at CEA as well. The bank is located in the center of Paris, so on the days when she interns, Madeleine takes the bus from her shared studio on the Left Bank, across the Seine River, into the 1st arrondissement. She swipes her security badge and says “Bonjour” to all of her colleagues before settling into her multi- screen work station to read the Daily Market Report.

"This is so much better than I ever thought it could be. I'm so lucky."

In just a short time, she has developed a professional routine to insure that she is up to date on current affairs and the world of finance and markets. Her longer days at the bank include lunch with colleagues, giving her an additional opportunity to put her French into practice. “ I’ m only speaking French there…so my French is getting better every day.”

While it has been a challenge to manage classes and a part- time internship, Madeleine has learned to balance her time and enjoys that her experience is uniquely her own. “That’ s the trade- off,” she says. This study abroad internship not only enriches her experience abroad but it also sets her apart from her peers as she continues her education and begins her professional career.

Madeleine McNell is originally from Marin, California, where she attended the lycée français for the majority of her primary education. As a double Finance and French major at the University of Arizona, an internship in finance, in Paris was the perfect complement to both of her degrees.