CANR senior Terrell Thompson enjoyed a summer internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

UD Interns: Federal family

CANR's Thompson interns at Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

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(Editor’s note: UD Interns is an occasional series that looks at enriching internship opportunities enjoyed by University of Delaware students, and provided by UD to students from other institutions.)

12:08 p.m., Oct. 23, 2012--Like all summer internships, once the calendar turned to August, Terrell Thompson knew that his time at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia was coming to a close. Unlike most summer internships, Thompson said that he felt like he was leaving both a job and a family behind. 

“It was a phenomenal experience. My whole department was very nice. It was a heart-warming atmosphere and basically it was a family-like culture,” said Thompson. “If I ever needed help, they were always there, they always extended a hand.”

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Thompson, a senior majoring in food and agribusiness marketing and management, which is housed in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), and minoring in business administration, said that getting the internship was a huge honor, as he was one of only 34 interns chosen out of a pool of over 1,600. 

Working in the supervision, regulation and credit department, Thompson said that his main job involved inputting data from banks into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. He also dealt with projects that involved the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that encourages financial institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low and moderate income neighborhoods.

Hard pressed to pinpoint one particular thing that he liked best about his time at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Thompson simply said that he liked it all. “It was just so good to wake up in the morning, get dressed in a nice outfit, go to work and just enjoy your work and enjoy the people that you’re working with. Then just go home, relax for a little bit, and then do it the next day. It was a great experience.” 

As for whether he would like to pursue it as a career, Thompson said that he would definitely like to work at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, but that he is also looking into options that are more suited to his area of study. Thompson explained that people who major in food and agribusiness marketing and management usually go to work for food retailing companies like Campbell’s or Kellogg’s. He also said that working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is another option he would explore.

Originally an engineering major, Thompson said that he decided to switch to CANR after his sophomore year. After a lot of consideration, Thompson ultimately decided that he was best suited for the business field. He explained that he looked at some of the business areas on campus and ultimately decided on food and agribusiness because, “Hey, everyone has to eat. It seemed like a new and big thing so I said ‘I’ll try it,’ and I’ve loved it ever since.” 

At CANR, Thompson is advised by Ulrich Toensmeyer, professor in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, who he said is a “great” adviser and professor. He said of CANR in general, “I love it here at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Everyone is so helpful here, it reminds me so much of the Federal Reserve Bank.” 

In other words, like family. 

Article by Adam Thomas

Photo by Danielle Quigley

 

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