What influenced your decision to do a banking internship?
I wanted to learn more about the banking industry and what different departments within a bank do each day. I also thought a banking internship would help me decide if I wanted banking to be my future career.

What has been the most beneficial part of your internship?
I think the most beneficial part has been learning what different departments analyze and do day to day. It has really opened my eyes to learn in further detail what different departments do.

What areas of banking did you focus on in your internship? Is this something you want to continue doing in the future?
I have worked in multiple different departments but have been primarily working with the ag lending department. I am interested in becoming an ag loan officer in my future career.

How has this internship grown your interest in the banking career path?
It has given me a better understanding of what a banker does and also allows me to further understand how a loan officer analyzes information for individuals looking to get a loan.

What is the most important thing you have learned through your internship?
I have learned many things during this internship, so naming one is hard. One of the main things that I have learned is that the three C’s, Capital, Capacity and Character, go a long way when examining a loan applicant. Working Capital and Change in Net Worth year to year is also very important to analyze for an ag loan application.

Do you think this internship will help you in your future? If so, how?
Yes, if my future career is in banking, this internship gives me a good view of what I would be doing, and I will know more when I start my employment. Even if I did not become a banker, this internship will help me know what bankers look at and how they analyze loan applications when it comes time I need to loan money.
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What would you say to someone who is considering a banking internship?
I would tell someone to pursue the banking internship and learn as much as possible from it. I would tell them that an internship is a good way to become more knowledgeable about a career path and how well you will like it.

What influenced your decision to do a banking internship?
I didn't know what I wanted to do when I graduated so I figured working in a bank would allow me to see and gain an understanding of different areas in business.

What has been the most beneficial part of your internship?
The most beneficial part of my internship has been working with lenders and seeing how businesses throughout the community work.

What areas of banking did you focus on in your internship? Is this something you want to continue doing in the future?
I have spent a lot of time working with lenders, especially in the ag department, and I would definitely continue doing this in the future.

How has this internship grown your interest in the banking career path?
Getting to know other employees and seeing how much they love their job is what has increased my interest in a banking career.

What is the most important thing you have learned through your internship?
I would say the most important thing I have learned is it is ok to not understand everything when coming into a new job. I had been given the opportunity to work alongside a lot of new employees over the summer, and it surprised me how many had the same questions that I did.

Do you think this internship will help you in your future? If so, how?
Definitely, a lot of the information and skills I have learned from working at Platte Valley can be used almost anywhere in business.

What would you say to someone who is considering a banking internship?
Don't treat it like a job, treat it as a learning opportunity. Ask questions and try to get involved with as much as you can because the more you learn now, the less you have to learn later. 

What influenced your decision to do a banking internship?
I really wanted to look at the financial side of agriculture. I have worked on the operations side and wanted to see ag from a different perspective.

What has been the most beneficial part of your internship?
The connections I have made with both fellow employees and with clients.

What areas of banking did you focus on in your internship? Is this something you want to continue doing in the future?
I work in the Farm and Ranch Management department. I think that this is something that is a growing field and could be a potential career field someday.

How has this internship grown your interest in the banking career path?
I am a 5th generation banker and have always told myself I would not bank; however, working here has made me consider making banking a lifetime career.

What is the most important thing you have learned through your internship?
I have learned how important it is to maintain a good communication line with your clients.

Do you think this internship will help you in your future? If so, how?
Yes, I want to go into agriculture, so any ag-related job is very beneficial.

What would you say to someone who is considering a banking internship?
I would say to give it a shot, you never know if you will like it.

Anything else you would like to add?
I mentioned above that I am a 5th generation banker. My great-great-grandfather's bank (run by my great-grandfather and grandfather) was eventually bought by the current bank that both my father and I work for.

What influenced your decision to do a banking internship?
My family has always been around the financing industry my entire life, so coming into college I always thought that I would leave being a lender in the same industry. This internship has become the next step in the journey.

What has been the most beneficial part of your internship?
Personally, it has been experiencing all the underwriting and behind the scenes work that you don't get to see day to day as a lender, which makes me appreciate other peers’ jobs more. Also building customers relationships has been a key objective thus far.

What areas of banking did you focus on in your internship? Is this something you want to continue doing in the future?
At Midwest bank, we focused on growing my knowledge in all areas throughout the internship. Everywhere from compliance, credit analysis, all lending, loan processing, etc. One area that has had more focus is in the commercial and ag lending areas.

How has this internship grown your interest in the banking career path?
I have always had an interest in the commercial and ag lending but getting to learn about all aspects of the industry has been eye-opening. I have gained more interest in banking than I thought I would have up to this point.

What is the most important thing you have learned through your internship?
One thing that I have learned that I fully didn't realize is how much of a team effort it is to generate a strong company. Being able to rely on peers is key to being successful is all areas of work. Building not only great customer relationships but also internal relationships has been important in this journey and will continue to be.

Do you think this internship will help you in your future? If so, how?
This internship will most definitely help for my future in banking. It has opened a lot of different avenues that I could go down and has helped me determine which path is the right fit for me.

What would you say to someone who is considering a banking internship?
I would say to take on the challenge even if you are on the fence about going into the industry. It will either open a lot of doors or you'll know that the banking world is not the right career fit.

Anything else you would like to add?
Just want to thank Midwest Bank for investing their time into me. It has been an unbelievable experience so far.

What influenced your decision to do a banking internship?
I received the NBA scholarship through my college. A summer internship is required in the terms of the scholarship.

What has been the most beneficial part of your internship?
The most beneficial part of my intern experience has been learning the software programs that are used in the banking industry. It will be very helpful to know these programs when I start my career.

What areas of banking did you focus on in your internship? Is this something you want to continue doing in the future?
I have mainly focused on the agriculture side of banking. Along with some commercial and consumer lending. I plan on focusing on agricultural lending in the future.

How has this internship grown your interest in the banking career path?
This internship has shown me that the banks are a team. Every branch works together to help the clients. This is something I did not realize before my internship, and working in teams at the branch you’re in along with other branches is something that I really enjoy and want to continue to do in the future.

What is the most important thing you have learned through your internship?
The most important thing that I have learned throughout my internship is that banks play a crucial part in helping customers achieve their dreams. Playing a part in helping others achieve their dream is an amazing feeling and is something that not a lot of careers have the opportunity to do.

Do you think this internship will help you in your future? If so, how?
This internship has shown me a lot in the banking industry. From loan writing to day-to-day operations to filing and compliance. The knowledge of the whole bank operations will be a great asset for me to have moving forward in my career.

What would you say to someone who is considering a banking internship?
There are many more aspects to the bank than you might realize. Interning at a bank would be a great source of overall business knowledge that I would recommend to anyone regardless of what field they are studying.

Anything else you would like to add?
I would like to thank the NBA for selecting me to participate in the intern program. Homestead Bank for all the knowledge and experience I have gained with their guidance. Lastly, Dr. Jeff Stokes ag finance professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.