Summer Internship Spotlight: Michael Maggard (MSF’26), Freddie Mac

Each year, our students spend their summers in Washington, D.C., across the nation, and around the world working in corporate, nonprofit, and government organizations. Meet a few of our graduate and undergraduate students in our Summer Internship Spotlight series.

Eager to explore his interest in distressed finance, Michael Maggard (MSF’26) spent the summer interning with Freddie Mac at their headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Here, Maggard shares insights into some of the impactful projects he worked on, key lessons learned, and advice for getting the most out of your internship experience. 

Tell us about your internship.

This summer, I worked as a risk management intern on the Operational Risk team at Freddie Mac. My focus was on evaluating the company’s practices related to privacy and physical security. I had the chance to contribute to real projects that supported the firm’s transition back to in-office work and helped assess risk from a non-financial perspective.

How did your internship relate to your professional or personal interests?

I’ve long been interested in distressed finance, and this internship provided me with access to people and conversations that helped me further explore this interest. I was able to attend company-wide seminars and town halls, and I made a point to connect with professionals on the Non-Performing Loan (NPL) team. Speaking with them gave me insight into how Freddie Mac handles distressed assets and allowed me to better understand a part of the business I hope to work in long term.

How did you find your internship?

I found the opportunity through the MSF program’s “Selected Summer Internships” spotlight. The career services team regularly shares updates that highlight internship and job opportunities for students to consider, and this one stood out to me as a great fit.

What is the most interesting or impactful thing you worked on during your internship?

The most impactful project I worked on was a firm-wide physical security assessment. With employees returning to the office full-time, our team was tasked with evaluating how well existing measures supported that transition. I collaborated with people across the company, including senior leaders and teams from offices in different parts of the country. It was an eye-opening experience that taught me how cross-functional teams work together to identify and manage operational risk.

What did a typical day look like?

Every day was different. On some days, I interviewed employees across the firm to learn about their workflows and identify potential areas of risk. On others, I reviewed our privacy practices and analyzed how they align with state regulations. The internship also placed a big emphasis on networking, which gave me the chance to connect with a wide range of people, both within my team and across the intern class. The variety made each day interesting and gave me a better understanding of the company as a whole.

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to internships?

Use your internship as a chance to explore. As an intern, you’re expected to ask questions, learn, and try new things. Once you start working full-time, your role will likely become more focused, so take advantage of the flexibility that comes with being in a learning phase. Talk to people in different departments, ask about their paths, and keep an open mind. Internships can teach you as much about what you want to do as they do about what you don’t.