Every week, WSN profiles a student who balances school and work. Check out our previous “On the Job” columns here.

For Stern junior Kathy Wu, getting up at 6:30 a.m. for a half-hour subway commute to work is routine. Working at JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a part-time intern during the school year, Wu commits 15 to 20 hours per week.

Wu first started working for JPMorgan in 2013, the summer before her freshman year, after finding the job through the Thomas G. Labrecque Smart Start Scholarship Program.

As an intern, Wu runs research and analysis on the market, such as mergers and acquisitions activities and the stock exchange. For Wu, her favorite part of the job is the educational aspect.

“I’m learning almost every day I’m in the office, either through research or from my manager,” Wu said. “My managers are always very eager to teach me important skills and knowledge of the industry.”

On the other hand, Wu finds the competitive environment at JPMorgan Chase & Co. to be challenging.

“Everyone’s really smart and it’s a lot of pressure to always keep up,” Wu said.

Wu is currently taking five courses at NYU including corporate finance, negotiations, economics of global business, public speaking and violin lessons. She attends class on Mondays and Wednesdays and work on Thursdays and Fridays. Her extracurricular activities with the Asian American Christian Fellowship and Phi Chi Theta, a national business fraternity, usually take up her evenings and weekends.

“I try to balance everything by prioritizing, which usually goes to church and friends and family first because I value relationships more,” Wu said. “While some days are especially hectic, I also remember to take a break and relax a little.”

Although most of her courses and work experience are focused on the banking industry, Wu is open to other fields in and outside of the industry.

“I would like to utilize my time as a student to try new things and find my niche,” Wu said. “My main goal is to always be learning, whether it’s academics or work or interpersonal relationships.”

Email Sherrilyn Ling at [email protected].