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Samantha Pollard '11 and Mike McDonough '79
Samantha Pollard‘s summer internship with BNY Mellon helped solidify her plans to pursue a career in banking.
“I’ve been much more proactive in planning for my future because I’ve been so inspired by the possibility of having a career such as this one,” she says. “This experience has definitely lit a fire in me to work 10 times harder to obtain the goal that I got a glimpse of this summer.”
An economics and business major, Pollard ’11 (Elmwood Park, N.J.) worked with the bank’s Trade Product Management team under the mentorship of Mike McDonough ’79, managing director and global trade solutions product manager.
“It’s very important, especially in the current business environment, that companies show a willingness to give students the internship experience they need,” says McDonough. “Sam brought a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm to the work she undertook with us. She was able to make a very meaningful contribution to our efforts and at the same time learn a lot about what we do and how we do it.”
Pollard helped with financial research, sat in on conference calls and meetings, and took part in a major initiative to expand the bank’s trade product offerings.
“I was able to gain insight into banking that was not possible in the classroom,” she says. “More importantly, I gained perspective into my own work ethic and capabilities.”
Pollard coordinated a trade product overview session for the bank’s treasury services sales team and also took part in an informal mentoring program and networking events to get exposure to the different lines of business that the bank offers.
“The summer intern program is great because it’s not about sitting at your cubicle for eight hours a day. They truly integrate the interns into their community and provide us with numerous opportunities to meet and have conversations with senior executives,” says Pollard.”
She had many of those conversations with McDonough. They spoke about her work progress, the importance of teamwork, life after graduation, and his time at Lafayette.
“He provided me with invaluable insight into work/life balance, how to set and achieve career goals, and the best practices of the business world,” she says.