NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2023 / U.S. Bank
Partnership and mentorship can help young people prepare to enter the workforce
Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog
For Jorge Estudillo-Castillo, thinking about a future career in banking started while attending Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Twin Cities and interning at a U.S. Bank branch in Minneapolis.
“I like being challenged and being a little hard on myself to accomplish more so I can go above and beyond,” said Estudillo-Castillo, who is now a college student studying finance and a U.S. Bank teller. “Being able to fulfill the internship requirement Cristo Rey has at U.S. Bank was a great opportunity to grow and develop before graduating from high school.”
For two years while attending Cristo Rey, Estudillo-Castillo worked alongside René Madrid, the South Minneapolis branch manager, to learn the ins and outs of what it means to be a banker serving a diverse community and to grow as an individual.
“When I first joined the branch, I was a shy and reserved kid,” Estudillo-Castillo said. “When René first showed me the banking systems, I said to myself that I couldn’t do this. Now look at me.”
As he works toward his college degree, Estudillo-Castillo is a peak-time teller at the same branch he interned at while a Cristo Rey student.
“I have no expectation when a student comes in,” Madrid said. “We evaluate where they are, what challenges they might have. For instance, one intern of mine during COVID wasn’t fully engaging. It turned out he was watching his two siblings while doing his schooling. We changed our approach on how best to support him as a U.S. Bank team.”
That hands-on approach and investment in each student’s future is