Small sophomore internships are still gold

I wanted to start a thread for people who were in a similar situation as myself. I come from a non-target and secured a BO position at a relatively small regional bank after my sophomore year. After reading plenty of posts on wso, it seemed like without extensive networking I would never be able to break into the IB field (or at least it would be EXTREMELY difficult).

I think these smaller internships are often overlooked because you can network extensively in smaller firms. I have been here 4 weeks and have already met with several high up executives (including a CFO who makes >1 mil every year). Many FT employees at BB banks will not see their executives for years and I as an intern have already had a meeting with the CFO. I was noticed because I improved one of their processes related to compliance. After this, my boss asked where I wanted my career to go and introduced me to the right people.

Small banks want to retain talent, so they have already moved me from BO to the M&A division (which is small but still relevant). Most students from target schools cannot obtain IB experience after their sophomore year, and I will be able to do so because of this small regional bank. Because of this bank which would be s*** on by many users, I will have much more relevant experience than many "target school" students in my class.

In conclusion, small internships can lead to great experiences. Everyone at my work wants to see me succeed, unlike many work cultures which have been discussed on this forum.