Few students can say they began their career before college graduation. Even fewer can say they began their career before high school graduation.
Madalyn Dyer, Upper Perkiomen High School Class of 2023, is thankful to have spent a portion of her senior year both in the classroom and in the office. She learned of Penn Community Bankโs internship program through the high schoolโs Career Pathways program. Eager to learn about business practices beyond her high school classes, Madalyn spoke with the presenter, her now-supervisor, and learned that an internship in the Bankโs Human Resources department was just what she was looking for.
In her role, sheโs been a part of many facets of human resources and the extensive hiring procedures and policies at the Bank. After evaluating and learning the process of onboarding new team members, Madalyn assisted in filing new hire paperwork and keeping personnel files up-to-date, and โ equally as important โ developed important professional skills.
โI learned how to communicate properly and professionally with other team members, whether it was in-person, on the phone, or through email. It sounds simple, but you donโt get to see real workplace things like this your high school classes,โ she says.
Over the summer, Madalyn along with several Penn Community Bank interns participated in the Career and Leadership Skills Academy held by the Pennsylvania Bankerโs Association and Shippensburg University. In this 10-week program, professors lectured on topics like career readiness, emotional intelligence, and leadership styles to a class of Bank interns from across the state.
For Madalyn, this program was particularly valuable. Starting her freshman year at Shippensburg University this fall, she was exposed to college-style online lectures and classmate collaboration as well as topics that will be relevant as she begins her college career as a Business Administration student.
Thanks to her supervisor, Melissa Perrine, and the program instructors, itโs safe to say Madalyn is well-prepared to enter her freshman year.
โThe different leadership styles and how to work under or with them really stuck out to me. As I work in group projects and have other internships in the future, or even being a good teammate, this is something that will stick with me,โ she says.
Looking ahead, Madalyn sees herself in a Human Resources management position after graduation. She looks forward to taking classes in Business Administration and plans to investigate Supply Chain Management and Logistics courses, too.
Her advice for future interns or high school students who are ready to start their career early is take the opportunity and donโt let anyone tell you youโre too young to take on something you know youโre capable of. Being โone step aheadโ is noting to be ashamed of, she says.
We wish Madalyn a wonderful freshman year at Shippensburg University and a winning softball season!
