Research Assistant at a Hedge Fund. Will I be able to move up?

I just graduated from an ivy and really want to get into finance. Unfortunately, unlike many others, I did not discover that I had a passion for investing and equity research until the end of my college years. This meant that I was not too prepared academically or internship wise to find a great starting position with a formal training program. I found it very difficult to even find places to apply, since many bulge brackets hire out of their intern class, and boutiques prefer finance majors for their skills. I have now just started as a research assistant at a hedge fund. It is a good hedge fund; small but growing (and quickly). Right now I am doing a lot of admin work, and a little help with excel spreads. I am told that if I continue to be enthusiastic, they will teach me other things, and will help me to grow into new roles if there is the opportunity internally.

However, I am concerned that I am stuck in something that may be dead end. It is really important to me to have upward mobility, and find success and fulfillment in whatever industry (hopefully finance) that I am in. While I am learning a lot, I am concerned that I won't be learning enough, or doing enough impressive work to find a new job with more opportunity when the time comes. I am smart, diligent, and also maintain a good attitude about work. If I stay for around two years, they may help me move into a research position, or onto something externally. But my fear is I will stay for two years trying to move up and the fund will not have grown enough, or the research team will still limited to only those who have gone to business school and have years of investment banking experience. And then if I leave but never was able to gain important skills and experience, I will be confined to more admin type roles as a career.

Does anyone have advice? Has anyone been in a Research Assistant role and moved on to work as part of an investment team? Does anyone know anyone that has?