by Rebecca Freedman ’22 (De La Salle House)

Who would have thought that simply asking about Mid Penn Bank’s intern program would have led me to an opportunity to be a Project Support Specialist/ Community Relations Intern this past Summer? When Mr. Ritrievi, the CEO of Mid Penn Bank, visited Trinity in the spring of 2021, he made a donation to our mini-THON fundraising event. He also talked about giving back, Mid Penn Bank’s role, and opportunities for interns. While the internship he mentioned was targeted for college students, they were willing to create a role for me, and made me their first high school intern.

I learned so much this summer. I was able to see what it was like being in the workplace. I attended the Women’s Leadership Network Conference and even coordinated the next event which is to occurred on August 31. I took online training classes to deepen my technical computer skills. There was even training to develop my LinkedIn profile to start my professional network. I did research on different media outlets that are targeted to the markets in our geography. I participated in conducting surveys at a local branch office, meetings to plan upcoming community events, financial meetings with the CFO to review budgets, and meetings with non profit organizations to help them understand what programs for which they may qualify. There were so many fun events to participate in. For example, attending the intern picnic lunch on National Intern day and preparing for the celebrity golf tournament.

Having the opportunity to experience the “real world” is something for which I can’t thank both Trinity and Mid Penn Bank enough. Thank you for teaching me both inside and outside the classroom!