Summer Interns Are Wrapping Up and Reminiscing on What They’ve Learned Before Heading Back to School

With the summer winding down and back to school season beginning, WSFS’ summer interns will soon be transitioning back from the workplace to the classroom.

Throughout departments, these interns have had the opportunity to expand their knowledge of their perspective fields by testing it every day in the real world and gaining skills and experience that’s unattainable in a classroom.

Since the start of his role as a Small Business Banking Intern, Darren DiRenzo has been hoping to dive deeper into what he studies as well as learn about banks and how they function. “I’ve always been interested in the workload of banks, and with my knowledge of WSFS, I felt like I could really grow my knowledge of banks and finance here. When the opportunity to intern in the Small Business Department came up, I jumped at it!”

“At WSFS, I have been learning about the foundations and fundamentals of the banking industry, and the different requirements and regulations for being a banker, lender, or borrower. Working in the Small Business Department, I am also learning about their loan programs, Customer care satisfaction and their process for credit card applications,” he explained.

In his studies, Darren has briefly learned about using Excel, but never had the chance to really experience and master Excel and different data analytics platforms until working at WSFS! “Excel is such a complex, but helpful tool no matter what field you work in, I’m happy that I’ve been able to master my abilities in Excel because it is going to help me so much in both school and my future career!”

Outside of learning new skills and facts, Darren offers advice that he will take into his future endeavors as well as encourage others to take into theirs. “You should never be afraid to ask questions to your peers, your team members, or your boss because it is better to ask what you might see as a silly question than to waste time trying to find the answer yourself and risk doing it wrong. The more knowledge, the better!”

Darren, from Media, Pa., is a rising senior at James Madison University where he is studying finance. Outside of work and school, Darren likes to take time to himself through working out, reading, watching movies, and cooking!

Ryan Gamble, Retail Banking Intern from the Sunset Road banking office, began his journey at WSFS “with his eyes and ears open to learn about anything and everything business related!” Ryan is a rising junior at Rowan College at Burlington County where he is studying supply chain management. He was drawn to intern with WSFS because he recognized the great experience that will help him flourish in his future career.

“So far this summer, I have been working on normal transactions such as deposits, withdraws and transfers. As I have been learning more, I now can open cards, print account history paperwork and make special loan payments,” he said. Ryan also enjoys having the ability to handle money every day as it is a passion of his!

“My favorite part about my role and day-to-day experiences is working with business Customers. They come into the banking offices with positive attitudes and an openness to talk and get to know you, which is always a nice highlight of my day. This internship has allowed me to meet and work with all different types of people which will help me with anything I do in the future.”

“A lot of what I learned here isn’t taught in school so it’s nice to be able to learn useful things that will carry over into all parts of my life,” Ryan explained. “This job has also given me a very strong foundation in finance that I will take with me in supply management or in any part of a business. Although I’ve learned about finance in my classes, I’m able to experience and understand it differently thanks to WSFS.”

Outside of work and school, Ryan enjoys skateboarding, driving cool cars, and collecting things like watches and cologne. If he could have dinner with anyone, it would be with Chairman, President and CEO of WSFS, Rodger Levenson!

During his summer with WSFS, Mekhi Williams has been able to help get written and verbal verifications of employment for borrowers, updating mortgage information on homeowner’s policies, and getting payoffs done in his role as the Mortgage Loan Processing Intern.

“My favorite thing about WSFS is the friendly and accepting environment they have made me feel since the start. It feels like a real family. Ever since I’ve applied, I’ve gotten support from many people including Talent Acquisitionist Kristy McLaughlin, Talent Acquisitionist Elizabeth Johnson, and my department superiors Teah Blades, Roy Woolf and Erica Scharf,” he said.

Mekhi is a rising senior at Pennsylvania State University where he is studying risk management and real estate with minors in entrepreneurship and innovation. At Penn State, Mekhi is part of a club called “Real Estate Boot Camp” where members attend different meetings together and hear many different guest speakers who give veteran knowledge about the industry, advice, and opportunities to grow in companies they work for. A meeting there sparked his interest in WSFS!

“Studying real estate in school has really helped me fit right in the Mortgage Department here at WSFS! I help the whole team to the best of my ability, it’s so exciting getting to put my studies to the test in a real-world scenario. My favorite part of my experience here has been getting verbal verifications of employment done.”

“When my time at WSFS ends, I will take with me my growing knowledge of mortgages and the real estate industry.” Mekhi has really enjoyed his summer and would love to continue his time at WSFS if the opportunity arose. Outside of working, Mekhi enjoys working to become the best possible version of himself, play basketball and chess.

Tanzila Akhter, a Retail Banking Intern in Philadelphia, has been growing her knowledge and understanding of the banking industry and her customer service skills more as this is her second summer in her role at WSFS!

“I initially found out via Glassdoor that WSFS was offering internships and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to gain experience as a student. It has since proven me right time and time again! One of my favorite things about WSFS is the culture here. Everyone is so nice and welcoming, my team always appreciates my work and never treats me like an intern,” she explained.

Her favorite part of her internship has been getting tested every Thursday on what she is learning and experiencing throughout her workdays. “I like being able to test my knowledge. It always helps me realize that I’m on the right track!”

Tanzila is a rising senior at Temple University’s Fox School of Business where she is majoring in accounting. “I think starting as a Teller offered me the capability to deal with all the transactions, updating GLs which is related to my major and help me to utilize this skill in my future career.”

Tanzila is originally from Bangladesh, but now lives in Philadelphia! Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and watching Netflix.

These interns have done an incredible job in their roles, and they truly found a place to flourish at WSFS. WSFS wishes them the best in returning to school and thanks them for their dedication to the Bank this summer!

Click here to learn about career and advancement opportunities at WSFS.