Commonwealth Financial Network partners with Messina College
The partnership between Messina College and financial investment advisors Commonwealth creates a new two-year, all-residential degree program at Boston College for first-generation college students.
The Commonwealth-Messina program aims to provide students with rich early career experiences to advance their education and prepare them for their professional careers.
Students will work between ten and 12 hours per week during the fall semester, gaining professional experience whilst continuing their education. The internships will also include elements of Commonwealth’s long-standing summer internship program such as job shadowing, building a personal brand, attending partner lunches and company events and developing presentation skills.
The first cohort of students on the scheme will begin internship opportunities in September 2025 and Commonwealth will welcome ten students to its Waltham headquarters.
Commonwealth recently conducted interviews with Messina students to place them in various teams including: Investment Management and Research, Practice Management, Enterprise Risk Management, Data and Analytics, and People/HR.
“As a longtime B.C. supporter, I couldn’t be more excited about the mission of Messina College,” says Wayne Bloom, CEO at Commonwealth. “This partnership isn’t just about opening doors - it’s about welcoming students who have outstanding talents to offer in our organization and the financial services industry.”
“As a first-generation college student myself, I can attest that through partnerships like these, we can remove obstacles and create allies,” adds Father Erick Berrelleza, S.J., Founding Dean at Messina College. “Commonwealth’s commitment ensures our students gain not only skills but also the confidence to thrive in careers they may have thought out of reach.”
