Contact:
Mike Ferlazzo
570-577-3212
570-238-6266 (c)
mike.ferlazzo@bucknell.edu

LEWISBURG , Pa. (August 11, 2026) – Fresh off a study abroad experience in Rome, Max Wilson ’27 traded one bustling city for another this summer, with an internship on Madison Avenue with PNC’s asset-backed finance group. Wilson says it was the relationships and opportunities at Bucknell University that made the opportunity possible.

Wilson met Doug Frankel ’98, P’30, while representing the Freeman College of Management at a prospective student event. Impressed with Wilson, Frankel contacted Freeman College’s Office of Experiential Learning to see if Wilson would be interested in applying for an internship with PNC, where he oversees structuring for the asset-backed finance group.

“I feel like all the alumni I’ve met are always willing to help,” says Wilson, who is from Needham, Mass. “Whether it’s giving advice or helping students make connections, alumni are always ready to support other Bucknellians.”

Bucknell also helped prepare Wilson for the experience. He credits Missy Gutkowski, assistant dean for experiential learning and Bethany Slear, program director of experiential learning, with mentoring him throughout his entire college career, while Patty Myers, a business & consulting career coach with Bucknell’s Center for Career Advancement, helped him prepare for interviews with mock case studies and industry-specific guidance.

Following several weeks of training alongside six other interns, Wilson began applying his skills to real-world projects on PNC’s structuring team, where he helped assess risk for large asset-backed finance transactions. He says his Bucknell coursework in analytics and computer science proved valuable in the role.

After one more year in Lewisburg, Wilson hopes to return to New York to begin his career. And just as Bucknell alumni helped launch his own professional journey, he hopes to one day pay it forward by mentoring and opening doors for future Bucknell students.

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Max Wilson ’27 spent the summer in New York City with PNC, an opportunity made possible through Bucknell’s alumni network.
Photo by James T. Giffen, Marketing & Communications