The employees of FCS Financial know summer is coming to an end when the days become shorter, the evenings cooler and our interns return to school. In May, six interns joined our staff and experienced life as a member of the Farm Credit family.
FCS Financial offers two internship programs for college students. Marketplace interns are students who are typically seeking degrees in agriculture, business or finance. They spend 12-weeks with the association. The Business intern program is designed for Latinx students to experience Missouri agriculture and promote cultural awareness. FCS Financial established this 8-week program in 2017 through a collaboration with ALIANZAS, an MU Extension and UMKC program whose main goal is to help build relationships and alliances within the community.
Marketplace interns included Ty Figg, Chillicothe, Jessica Hoelting, Moscow Mills, Darin Oelrichs, Cole Camp and Andy Parrett, Springfield. Business interns were Melissa Sanchez, Monett, and Marcelo Garduno, Berryville, Ark. All interns work with several mentors at FCS Financial learning the components of the lending process, from meeting the customer and taking the application, through credit analysis and decision, to appraisal and loan closing.
Our interns begin their experience in Central Office where they learn about the cooperative structure and “behind the scenes” functions.
“I’ve always been interested in business models, and I got to take a deep dive into that while in Central Office,” says Figg.
Throughout the course of their time, the interns work in multiple branch locations with local staff and regional specialists in lending, credit, appraisal and risk management. This provides first-hand experience of the level of service and personal relationships we have with our customers. Each has the opportunity to make farm visits, review loan applications, present refinancing options and more.
“There is a lot more to FCS Financial than what you see when you drive by,” says Oelrichs. “The FSS (Financial Services Specialist) staff is what defines multi-tasking. They have 10 things going on their computers and then get a phone call. It was a challenge, and I enjoyed that."
FCS Financial believes in having our interns immersed in the business so they can they discover if ag finance is a fit for their future. They complete at least one project identified by FCS Financial that is hands-on in nature and designed to add value to the company. Hoelting had the task of consolidating title agency lists for more efficient use in our branch offices.
“I think it will help streamline the loan closing process providing efficiency where there are increased workloads,” says Hoelting.
Other projects included process improvement data mining, financial peer analysis trends and Latinx farming trends in Missouri.
While the business interns are at FCS Financial for half the time as marketplace interns, their experiences are just as rewarding. New experiences can often provide fun, educational benefits. Sanchez whose family came to the U.S. in 1995 from Zacatecas, Mexico, had the chance to attend two county fairs.
“I have never been so this was new to me,” says Sanchez. “I enjoyed seeing the livestock show.”
Garduno who immigrated to the U.S. from Guanajuato, Mexico, when he was 14 years old attended an FCS Financial Shaping Rural Missouri grant presentation to Barry County 4-H.
“They were really excited to help their community and make their park look better,” he says.
Presentations to the Board of Directors, senior leadership, mentors and other staff are given prior to the end of the internship. Perhaps, Parrett summed it up best based on his two-year intern experience with FCS Financial. Last year, he was a business intern and returned this year as a marketplace intern for our credit department.
“I had an enlightening experience last summer where I came to have a deep appreciation for agriculture and what it means to the state. To the entire country, really,” he says.
We agree with Parrett. Agriculture is important to Missouri, the United States and the world. Serving Missouri farmers and ranchers is our passion, and we are proud to be a part of this industry. We are also honored to introduce the next generation to farming and the benefit of ag finance through FCS Financial.
To apply for an internship program at FCS Financial visit www.myfcsfinancial.com to complete an online application. The job posting is located on the Careers page under the About Us tab.
