Minority Advancement Internship Program
Peter Xu
Bio:
Peter is a liberal arts student at Wesleyan University, majoring in mathematics and economics. He's a senior writer for the Wesleyan Business Review and an active member of Wesleyan Investment Group and Finance club. In addition to Castle Creek, Peter interned at Ernst & Young, SAIF Partners, and will join Lazard next summer.
Internship experience:
My summer at Castle Creek was an incredible learning experience. The people here have deep insight into the community banking industry, and their kindness nurtured a safety net to encompass all of our questions. I participated in investment meetings and enjoyed working side by side with another intern on various tasks and the final project - pitching a target bank in front of the entire investment committee. Being self-motivated contributed to our final success, and it still amazes me today how far we have reached in just over ten weeks. Overall, the internship program helped me change for the better, both in terms of capability and confidence in finance, and I highly recommend the program to all future interns!
Connor Jabbari
Bio:
Connor Jabbari is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley studying Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. On campus, he is the Partnership Chair for the Berkeley Finance Club. In addition to Castle Creek, he has experience working as an extern for Battery Ventures.
Internship experience:
My internship with Castle Creek has been the most valuable experience I've had in my undergraduate experience so far. Through all the tasks and assignments throughout my time there, I learned so much about the community banking industry. In addition to that, the team at Castle Creek was extremely valuable in mentoring and supporting me throughout my internship!
Isaiah Dawson
Bio:
Isaiah is a rising junior at Harvard University studying Economics. On campus, he is a member of the Varsity Men's Lacrosse Team, the Harvard Financial Analysts Club, and the Harvard Constitutional Law Society. He is also a member of BLK Capital, an all-black student run asset manager with ~$250k in AUM in which he sits on the TMT team.
Internship experience:
My experience at Castle Creek was nothing short of amazing. Throughout the summer, I was afforded the opportunity to work on meaningful projects which served to deepen my financial knowledge. The Castle Creek Team was there every step of the way, and through constant guidance and support, facilitated a learning environment conducive to personal growth and development.
Henry Schafer
Bio:
Henry attends the University of Chicago as a third-year Economics and Astrophysics student where he has been named a Student Marshall, Robert Maynard Hutchins Scholar, and University Scholar. In addition to Castle Creek, Henry holds internship experiences at Rhobust AI and Amazon, Inc.
Internship experience:
Castle Creek Capital is composed of exceptional people. They are both premier investors and kind, amiable individuals, who foster a dynamic environment that enhances the DEI Advancement Program. Inclusion in high level investment committee meetings, senior management discussions, and personalized valuation projects are a testament to the firm's desire for interns to succeed. This special program has given me invaluable exposure to the pinnacle of Private Equity within the exciting community banking sector. I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge throughout this process, and what’s more, I’ve had a lot of fun doing so.
Nand Javian
Bio:
Nand was born in India and grew up in Zambia. He attended Orange Coast College in California before transferring to Texas Christian University. He was the Vice President of the Student government at OCC. He is majoring in Finance and Business Information Systems with a specialty certificate in FinTech.
Internship experience:
My summer internship at Castle Creek was the best experience I could have received to learn about the PE industry. I was working directly with the experienced staff who made it very easy for me to understand the work flows. The importance of self-learning was emphasized during the course of the internship. They invited me to be at a number of high-level meetings to see how they analyze the numbers. My biggest advice to future interns would be to take notes during the meetings and write down the new terminologies you hear. It always helps so you can go back to the notes while working on projects.
Nayha Kshirsagar
Bio:
Nayha is a student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Business Administration and Data Science. In addition to Castle Creek, Nayha has interned in investment banking, wealth management, and has done public policy research. She is involved with a few business groups at Berkeley, and is currently facilitating a course there.
Internship experience:
I thoroughly enjoyed my summer working with the kind, capable people at Castle Creek. They were very invested in my success as an intern and beyond, going out of their way to work with me one-on-one with projects they knew would further my business acumen for future endeavors. I have learned an incredible amount about community banking, but also about the broader finance world, for which I am grateful. I highly recommend the internship program to students interested in finance, as it is a wonderful way to explore the possibilities, not only through the program, but from learning about the team and their diverse career paths.
