A Finance and Accounting major and member of the men’s soccer team, McGarry joined fellow students for a Financial Investments Club visit coordinated by Director of Corporate Relations and Family Engagement Rick Johnson, with Finance Professor Brett Blazevich also accompanying the group.
J.P. Morgan Analyst Thomas Pollard helped organize the visit, which included a morning of market discussions, presentations from senior bankers, and conversations with associates and analysts about their day-to-day careers. J.P. Morgan Managing Director Bill Freda also spent the morning with the students, sharing insights into the Private Bank.
With plans to pursue a career in wealth management after graduation, the experience gave McGarry an opportunity to connect what he is learning in the classroom with the realities of the financial industry. Below, McGarry shares his perspective on the experience and what he learned during his visit.
Inside the Experience
As a Finance and Accounting student at Flagler with a strong interest in wealth management, I was really excited when I heard we would have the opportunity to visit J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Ponte Vedra.
I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can about the industry outside of the classroom, so getting to actually spend a morning inside the office and meet the people doing the work was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss.
One of the coolest parts of the visit was being able to sit in on the team’s morning meeting. We got to hear conversations about the markets, politics, data centers, and other current events, but more importantly, how those topics could impact clients. It was completely different from learning about markets in a classroom because we saw how that information is actually discussed and applied every day.
Afterwards, we had the chance to rotate through conversations with different members of the Private Bank team. What stood out to me was how many different areas go into serving a client.
Before the visit, I think I viewed private banking as being much more focused on investments. Hearing from the team showed me that it goes far beyond that. They work with clients on investments, lending, banking, estate planning, and other facets of their financial lives.
I also saw how important relationships are. Even with all of the technical knowledge involved, being able to listen to someone, understand what they need, and earn their trust is just as important.
The advice we received was probably my biggest takeaway. We heard a lot about being curious, coachable, staying informed, and putting yourself in situations where you can learn.
One piece of advice that really stuck with me was to be “radically authentic.”
As a student, it can be easy to think you need to have everything figured out when talking with successful people in the industry. Hearing them emphasize being yourself, asking good questions, listening, and being willing to learn was something I really appreciated.
The visit also reinforced the direction I want to take professionally. My goal is to build a career in wealth management, and seeing the world of private banking firsthand gave me a much better understanding of what that career can look like.
Since the visit, I’ve continued conversations with members of the J.P. Morgan team and have applied for their 2027 Private Bank Analyst internship. Having an opportunity like this so close to Flagler is something I’m very grateful for.
For any Flagler student who is offered a similar opportunity, I would tell them to take advantage of it. Come prepared, ask questions, and talk to as many people as you can. You never know which conversation will stick with you or where one connection could eventually lead.
