By Jesus Medina
Clearinghouse CDFI has done a great job in equipping me with many new skills. The staff here taught me new things that I wouldn’t have learned through a traditional business program at my school. Here in the office, everyone is friendly and welcoming, which makes interning here comfortable.
One of my favorite projects I was assigned were the case studies. My task was to do research on the needs of Native American communities and had to find ways to reach them. Conducting research projects like these helped me become aware and informed on new issues that are not that widely known, yet are still important. I also enjoyed the weekly workshops regarding different topics mentioned throughout the company, such as meeting up with Jay Harrison and Alan Orechwa about New Market Tax Credits, and sitting in on Investment and Strategic Goal meetings.
Through my meeting with Brian Maddox, I learned that Clearinghouse CDFI emphasizes not only business, but also creating relationships with borrowers.
Additionally, I learned how to use Microsoft Access, thanks to Leo Carrillo, and I was taught how to do HTML coding with the help of Peter Ahjohn, which is helping create this post.
Alejandro and I were also assigned a project called Mapping the Experience. This required us to assume the role of a borrower and travel through each department to familiarize ourselves with it. As each week passed by, we traveled through the application process to processing, then funding, then wiring funds with Accounting, and finally, learning about Impact and Marketing.
As my last week closes in, I would like to say that this experience meant a lot to me.
I learned so much and met a lot of amazing people. I’m thankful to have met everyone I’ve worked with and to have been selected as your ‘B’ Bold Intern.
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Clearinghouse CDFI would again like to thank the generous sponsors who made the ‘B’ BOLD Internship Program possible: Banc of California, US Bank, California Republic Bank, First Bank, and Wells Fargo. Read more about the ‘B’ BOLD program, dedicated to Allen Peter Baldwin for his commitment to helping low-income families, here: /b-bold-internship-program.
