By Intern Patience Akariza
I am incredibly thankful to have had the chance to intern for the Pension Boards-United Church of Christ (PBUCC) in the Generations Analytics department. My experience has been a rich one from the moment I first opened the Pension Boards’ doors—from trying to take everything in, remembering people’s names and their roles—to being able to call the people here my friends. I enjoyed giving a different answer every time someone asked me “What do you do?” because I got to work on a wide range of tasks and projects every week.
I have learned a lot from working with Randy Garrett and Reinaldo Cuni on different tasks. I enjoyed discovering new concepts, getting to work on projects that pushed me to do research, and I learned things I know I would have never encountered in my Economics or Math classes. I was grateful for the time they dedicated to answering all of my questions as I got acclimated to PBUCC and Generations Finance Analytics’ operations. I know for sure I will be using the advice they gave me in future endeavors.
Another aspect of this internship I have been deeply grateful for was the “Leadership Roundtables” where we got to share lunch with various PBUCC leaders. I learned from their inspiring life experiences that shaped them into the leaders they now are. I was inspired by their thought processes and strategies whenever they faced tough situations in their journeys, and how they kept their goals and visions in mind when making difficult life choices. We got to ask them many questions, and they shared valuable advice on how to advance in the workplace and in life; this will definitely be useful as I pursue my career and life goals.
One of my favorite experiences has been getting to know my fellow interns— from those first awkward introductions to serious competitions during Orientation Week and the Scavenger Hunt, to answering all my existential questions, and being the best teammates to work with during the Capstone Project. I am grateful to Walter Reyes, Nakita Lee, and Viviana Betancurt for making me part of this team of interns and for all the fun I had during the internship and Employee Engagement Week! It was a fun experience watching and participating in the humor everyone at PBUCC shared. Everyone I talked to was nice and the games (gift cards) were a daily favorite.
I am deeply grateful for everyone I have had the opportunity to meet, all the career advice and general life advice, and all the skills I have gained this summer. I would rate PBUCC “10/10” for anyone thinking of a summer internship next year.
I have learned a lot from working with Randy Garrett and Reinaldo Cuni on different tasks. I enjoyed discovering new concepts, getting to work on projects that pushed me to do research, and I learned things I know I would have never encountered in my Economics or Math classes. I was grateful for the time they dedicated to answering all of my questions as I got acclimated to PBUCC and Generations Finance Analytics’ operations. I know for sure I will be using the advice they gave me in future endeavors.
Another aspect of this internship I have been deeply grateful for was the “Leadership Roundtables” where we got to share lunch with various PBUCC leaders. I learned from their inspiring life experiences that shaped them into the leaders they now are. I was inspired by their thought processes and strategies whenever they faced tough situations in their journeys, and how they kept their goals and visions in mind when making difficult life choices. We got to ask them many questions, and they shared valuable advice on how to advance in the workplace and in life; this will definitely be useful as I pursue my career and life goals.
One of my favorite experiences has been getting to know my fellow interns— from those first awkward introductions to serious competitions during Orientation Week and the Scavenger Hunt, to answering all my existential questions, and being the best teammates to work with during the Capstone Project. I am grateful to Walter Reyes, Nakita Lee, and Viviana Betancurt for making me part of this team of interns and for all the fun I had during the internship and Employee Engagement Week! It was a fun experience watching and participating in the humor everyone at PBUCC shared. Everyone I talked to was nice and the games (gift cards) were a daily favorite.