By Nichole Smith
Scott Landry enrolled at Montverde Academy as a postgraduate boarding student at the beginning of the school year. Scott graduated from The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, in the spring of 2023 and made the decision with his parents to come to MVA and join the SIMA program to improve his college prospects and grow academically.
As a way of gaining some real-world experience and boosting the academic side of his college applications, Scott completed an internship this past summer with Argent Bridge Advisors, a financial advising firm in Vienna, Virginia, near D.C.
“It’s a very small company, a very good community. When I got there, everyone was so helpful and nice,” said Scott. “I could ask them a question any time of the day. It didn’t matter what they were doing—they would just stop and answer me.”
For the first month, the firm presented Scott with projects, everything from digitizing various files to working with clients’ accounts once he was able to gain the trust of the firm. “That’s one of the reasons why I loved [the internship] so much,” said Scott. “I felt really valued. They valued my work, and I was able to do something of substance for them.” Once he graduated to being a paid intern, they gave him even more complex tasks such as going through a client’s holdings to rule out conflicts of interests and other complicated tasks.
Every quarter, the firm holds a webinar, and this past August, the firm asked Scott to be the host for that quarter. He was happy to accept the challenge, and he reserved one of the collaboration spaces in MVA’s newly renovated Innovation Center. The firm wanted the webinar to focus on what he wished his parents would have taught him about personal finances. Scott reached out to others for input, and the topics he discussed in the webinar ranged from summer jobs to personal spending in college. Click here to watch the webinar.
Scott is currently taking calculus, AP English Language and Composition, and environmental science at MVA, and he is dual enrolled at MVA and the University of South Florida in economics, social science, and statistics. “This is a year of continued academic, athletic, and personal growth,” said Scott, “because I’m living in a different environment with people who are very focused on their goals, and that keeps me focused on my goals.”
Next year, he hopes to pursue a business degree while also playing soccer. In the meantime, he’ll continue honing his academic and athletic skills at MVA. “[I have been grateful for] the diverse student body here and the diversity of perspectives,” said Scott. “I’m learning about so many different kinds of people from different countries.” He’s been fascinated by how people’s backgrounds have helped shape their views on finances, and he has felt enriched by their perspective. The MVA community feels lucky to share this time of growth with Scott.