My third consecutive summer internship at Sunrise Banks is coming to an end as I will be headed back up to Grand Forks for my senior year at the University of North Dakota. I have loved every moment spent at Sunrise and am grateful for the values and practices taught to me by superiors, because they are ones that will help me thrive in the real job world.

There are so many components that have to jibe in order for a small bank like Sunrise to run smoothly and successfully. For this to happen everyone from the CEO all the way down to the tellers has to share the same mission and values and organizational goals have to be clearly stated. At Sunrise, every single person in the company is valued for their work and people are treated with respect and dignity. There are very few organizations nationwide that, from the top down, treat each and every one of their employees as if they were equals, but I was lucky enough to work for one of the few. Sunrise may be a bank, but under no circumstance is it considered by the public as a revenue thirsty corporation like some banks in the industry. Sunrise’s mission statement is parallel to the way they actually do business, empowering the underserved to achieve. Sunrise is the battery that keeps the underserved public running and ultimately leads to a more functional and continuously growing society. No better exemplification than every employee, including the executive team, volunteering within the community striving to make the Twin Cities a better and more progressive place to live. This place is truly one of a kind.

Working for Sunrise Banks is an experience I will never forget and the teachings and practices passed down throughout the organization are ones I can only hope to emulate as I start my career in business.