Gettysburg College is preparing the next generation of finance professionals through coursework and experiential learning opportunities. Julie Breedveld ’26 has applied the knowledge and skills from her Gettysburg education to a hands-on experience through Vanguard’s Business Leadership Internship program.
For many college students, learning to balance their bank accounts and make decisions about money lays the foundation for financial wellness throughout their lives. For Julie Breedveld ’26, the desire to learn how to apply the knowledge and skills necessary to make those informed financial choices has supported her studies at Gettysburg College and her career interests.
Last summer, Breedveld, a business, organizations, and management (BOM) major and economics minor from Wayne, Pennsylvania, participated in Vanguard’s Business Leadership Internship program. Designed for students with broad interests and a desire to learn how organizations work, the program encourages interns to explore Vanguard’s approach to finance and the values that shape decision-making.
During her internship, Breedveld explored various career paths in finance while learning more about Vanguard’s culture, mission, and long-term investing philosophy.
“Through intern projects, networking events, and daily interactions, I worked with individuals from different roles and backgrounds, which reinforced the idea that strong outcomes come from shared input and collective decision making,” Breedveld said. “This collaborative approach closely reflected the way we worked in class and helped me see leadership as something rooted in teamwork and mutual respect.”
“What stood out to me most was how consistently people connected their work back to Vanguard’s mission of helping investors succeed over the long term,” she said. “That consistency helped me see finance not just as numbers and analysis, but as something rooted in trust, responsibility, and real people.”
Breedveld believes the value of the Business Leadership Internship at Vanguard lies in strengthening leadership and interpersonal skills through collaboration, professional communication, and relationship-building across teams. Those are skills she’s developed through her finance coursework and co-curricular activities as a member of Chi Omega sorority and former women’s lacrosse player at Gettysburg.
“In Finance 367, Applied Finance, we focus on portfolio construction, diversification, risk and return, and factor-based investing, with an emphasis on long-term, risk-adjusted decision-making rather than chasing short-term performance,” she explained.
“Because of my coursework, I was able to connect what I was learning in theory at Gettysburg to Vanguard’s long-term philosophy in practice.”
– Julie Breedveld ’26
Her final project for the course, a momentum factor analysis, helped her develop leadership, problem solving, and communication skills essential to success in financial careers. Taking her learning one step further, Breedveld and her classmates took their findings from the project into the real world with a presentation to T. Rowe Price employees.
“Presenting to industry professionals challenged us to clearly communicate our methodology, address questions, and defend our conclusions, while also acknowledging limitations and uncertainty,” she said. “That experience reinforced the importance of teamwork, clarity, and confidence when communicating financial ideas.
“Because of my coursework, I was able to connect what I was learning in theory at Gettysburg to Vanguard’s long-term philosophy in practice. At the same time, the internship made my classes feel more meaningful by showing how these concepts are used to support real people and long-term outcomes,” she continued.
Following Commencement in May, Breedveld will continue with Vanguard through its two-year Accelerated Career Development Program. She explained that the rotational program is designed to build leadership and technical skills across various areas of the firm.
“I see the combination of my coursework and internship experiences as strong preparation for this path,” she said. “Learning how to analyze complex problems, collaborate with diverse teams, and make disciplined decisions will continue to shape how I approach my remaining studies at Gettysburg and my future career in finance.”
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By Michael Vyskocil
Main photo provided by Julie Breedveld ’26
Posted: 03/20/26