Special to the Independent
Five students benefited from the full force of Members Plus Credit Union’s commitment to Everett High School when they were invited to participate in a high-visibility internship program with banking and marketing professionals. EHS students and rising juniors Suzanne Maharjan, Luis Santana, Alyssa Parziale, Kaesta Sandy, and Xiomara Perez Puerta had the honor of working with Senior Vice President of Marketing Janis Caines at Members Plus Credit Union (formerly Everett Credit Union) this summer.
“The real-world experience is different from what I can teach them in the classroom,” said EHS Marketing CTE Instructor Siobhan Sullivan, who helped conceive and organize this valuable internship opportunity. “It really is important for the students to have these internship opportunities so they can expand their marketing knowledge. “I’m truly grateful to Janis and the rest of the team at Members Plus Credit Union (MPCU) for believing in our students and giving them this amazing opportunity,” said Sullivan. MPCU has been supporting Career and Technical Education (CTE) since Everett High launched the program in 2018, and its team members serve on the Marketing Program Advisory Committee, providing support and feedback to ensure students are learning the most current workplace skills. The interns had to complete an official application process, including an interview with MPCU Director of Human Resources Dana McKenzie. “I was so impressed at how well they worked together as a team, and how they all had such a positive attitude,” said McKenzie of the students. During their summer internship, the students were tasked with creating a marketing campaign for a new teen checking account product. Teens between the ages of 14-17 will be eligible to open a joint account with a parent or guardian, receive a contactless debit card with access to more than 30,000 fee-free ATMs. The account includes no minimum balance or monthly service fees and access to digital banking. The interns also supported retail and back-office personnel. The interns also assisted with a community service project in which MPCU collected 400 backpacks and filled them with school supplies. The backpacks will be donated to schools and youth programs in the communities the credit union serves (Everett, Medford, Dorchester, Norwood, and Plymouth). In addition to Caines, the interns worked directly with Marketing Administrator Leo Lemos and Everett Branch Manager Sarah O’Toole. “The students were a pleasure to have in our branch, and they came to work with a positive attitude and showed great initiative each and every day,” said O’Toole. “Besides working hard on their marketing project, once done they would come and ask us what they could do to help out our branch.” Caines and Lemos are both EHS graduates. On the last day of their internship, the students presented their campaign for the new teen checking account in front of a panel which included: Lemos, Caines, McKenzie, and President and CEO John J. Murphy. “I was so impressed with their work on this campaign,” said Sullivan, who attended the presentation. “The students now have a tangible campaign they created that the credit union is going to run. It’s so amazing!” While the internship officially ended on August 17, the working relationship between MPCU and the marketing program is just beginning. “The credit union’s philology is “people helping people”. I am proud that Members Plus is actively involved with the Everett High School CTE program,” said Caines. “This internship has provided practical knowledge, tools, and hands-on experience to these talented students as they begin their professional development and explore opportunities in our credit union and in the financial industry.” For more information about EHS’s Marketing CTE program, or if your business is looking for marketing interns, please reach out to Ms. Sullivan at 617-394-2490.