Furman to Fifth Avenue

Jaya Winemiller ’26 and Ashley Jewell ’26 knew New York City wasn’t just a dream – it was their destination. The two Furman University business administration majors pushed each other to prepare, practicing interviews over meals and swapping housing leads until they finally secured internships in Manhattan. By summer, they had traded Furman’s relaxed rhythms for the restless pulse of Midtown.

“We both knew we wanted to end up in New York,” Jewell said. “We would encourage each other and motivate each other. It was never a question that we would get there.”

That confidence started with Furman’s liberal arts curriculum, which prepared both students for whatever their Big Apple internships would eventually throw at them. Their first three years they explored a variety of subjects from finance to public speaking in an effort to hone their interests. They had both explored previous internships: Jewell at ReluTech in a sales-focused role and Winemiller with Northwestern Mutual in Greenville as a financial representative. And they both used that preparation and determination toward the same goal.

Ashley Jewell ’26, left, and Jaya Winemiller ’26, sit on the patio at AlphaSights where Winemiller interned. Both students had internships in Manhattan during the summer of 2025.

One they achieved this past summer.

Winemiller, from Cary, North Carolina, joined AlphaSights, an expert-networking firm, where she produced research reports for the private equity team and navigated industries ranging from finance to technology. Jewell, from Hingham, Massachusetts, dove into health-tech communications at 120/80 Group, shadowing account executives and working alongside clients in media relations and strategy.

They were among hundreds of Furman students who interned last summer all across the globe; 72% of students complete at least one internship during their four years, and all students are eligible to apply for internship funding. (Over 90% of Furman students participate in internships, study away or research.) While Winemiller and Jewell found their own internships, many students go through The Center for Engaged Learning’s internship office.

“I wasn’t just looked at as an intern at AlphaSights,” Winemiller said. “I worked on multiple projects at once and was never pigeonholed into one area. I learned about so many different industries and found out that I can do anything I want with my major.”

The city itself became as much of a classroom as the offices. Living in a Midtown apartment complex designed for student interns, Winemiller and Jewell embraced every opportunity from hosting visiting family and friends to exploring neighborhoods on foot and pedaling to the East River to catch skyline sunsets.

Ashley Jewell ’26, left, and Jaya Winemiller ’26, walk down 6th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, where the two interned during the summer of 2025.

“Walking the Brooklyn Bridge, watching fireworks over the water on July Fourth and just taking in the city with my friends – these are all things I will remember forever,” Winemiller said.

Every experience reinforced a lesson: growth demands stepping beyond the familiar. “It can be scary to get out of the bubble, but it’s so necessary,” Jewell said. “We just had an absolute blast every single day.”

By the end of the summer, both felt the city’s pull. Winemiller was offered a position after graduation from AlphaSights. Jewell awaits word from her agency but already knows where she might want to begin her career.

“I would 100% return to New York City,” they both said almost in unison.

Jewell added, “I realized this was the one place I didn’t know I was missing.”