Introduction of Final Paper

Introduction

When I realized that graduation was around the corner, I knew that it was time for me to take my skills and knowledge that I had acquired from my studies at Old Dominion University and place them into an organization by first becoming an intern. I will be graduating in Fall of 2023, and it was time for me to take the next step to a successful career after graduation. I applied for a great deal of internships, over thirty to be precise, for an internship for the Summer of 2023 during the Fall of 2022 semester. I had hoped to be selected for an internship because of the importance of an internship to my future endeavors, and I had one internship in particular that I had hoped to get. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond piqued my interest because of the positive reviews of the treatment of interns and the experience that they promised to provide to ensure that when the internship was finished, I would have valuable experience that would help me to obtain employment. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond internship helped me to gain experience in a valuable field and also helped me to learn facts about myself that I will not soon forget.

The task of finding an internship proved to be easier said than done, but it was my hope that my exceptional GPA and extensive work history would help me to appeal to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The opportunity that the bank granted me will be something I am forever grateful for due to the experience that was provided through hands-on training within a corporate environment that many will not get to experience without the utilization of an internship. The benefits of an internship are not advertised, and many may not know about the importance of gaining an internship to blend the work that is done and school with the work that is done in the real world. The ability to showcase the expertise and skills that are learned from courses in college allows students to excel at an internship and is important to successfully land a prosperous career after graduation. Had I not completed an internship, I would feel as if something had been lacking in my college education but with the experience that I received at the bank I feel as if I am almost ready to take the leap into a career in my field of study.

Throughout my time in the internship, I hoped to learn a lot about sectors of information technology, but also about myself. This summer my goal was to gain experience when it comes to cloud architecture and why it is so widely adopted by so many organizations in a way that has not been seen in the past. I would also like to work on myself in terms of becoming more of a corporate professional and utilizing teamwork and the homeostasis of an environment utilizing teamwork in a way that I have not done before. The impact of Covid-19 on my personal life has made me into a homebody sheltering myself away from others, and I would like to change that and become a person who is not only part of society but a successful part of society. Covid-19 and the impacts of the virus on my personal life cannot continue to hold me back and I would like to break out of my shell and become successful in every aspect of life. The history of the bank, such as how and why it was created, are parts of this internship that pique my interest because of the complexity of what it has become. The ability to achieve all of the desired by the end of my internship would allow me to grow and become a more knowledgeable and productive member of society.

Internships are difficult to achieve for a student because they are limited in number and require certain accolades from the school in which the student is attending. The transition of lifestyle habits into something that is unknown is scary, yet it is exciting as well. Internships are a lifeline for a student who wishes to gain substantial employment upon graduation. Statistics state that 53% of students are not able to gain employment post-graduation due to lack of experience and skill. I am grateful to Old Dominion University for offering the class CYSE 368 because it helped me to realize that I need to apply for internships and the benefits of successfully completing and internship. If I had the opportunity to speak to other students, I would encourage them to apply for and internship. For students enrolled in programs such as Computer Science, Information Technology, and Cybersecurity majors I would specifically recommend the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The bank helps to take the knowledge that students have acquired and encourage one to showcase it with the tasks that are given, the meetings attended, and the professional personnel that the student is surrounded by. As a result of the internship, the employees of the bank help a student to feel as if they are ready to take on the tasks of the real world and that you are able to successfully deal with situations that occur in real positions while equipping a student with the confidence to take on any task being thrown their way. I am thrilled to be a part of the Federal Reserve Bank National IT team as an intern and hope that after my internship and graduation I will become part of their team as I begin my journey as a Cybersecurity/Information Technology Professional.

Obtaining an internship is a difficult task, although some may not see it as so. I had personally applied to over thirty companies during my Fall of 2022 semester in the hopes that I would be selected for an internship for the Summer of 2023.  The Federal Reserve Bank made that wish come true for me. The Federal Reserve Bank was founded in 1913 and is intricately entwined with the development of the American financial and economic system. The Federal Reserve System was established utilizing the Federal Reserve Act, which was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. This was done in order to address ongoing financial instability and a lack of coordinated monetary policy. The Panic of 1907 taught the United States the significance of having a central authority capable of providing liquidity, regulating banks, and stabilizing the economy during times of crisis. These factors led to the creation of the system of the Federal Reserve Bank. The Federal Reserve Bank provides vital services and products to the U.S. financial system including clearing checks and electronic payments, transferring funds between financial institutions, and maintaining the payment system. In order to meet demand, the Fed issues and distributes U.S. cash and coins while providing cash to financial institutions during crises as a lender of last resort. The Federal Reserve regulates and supervises banks, analyzes systemic risks, and protects the financial industry. The Fed also conducts economic research, collects data, and shares information to inform its monetary policy choices while providing economic insights. These services and products demonstrate the Federal Reserve’s essential role in U.S. financial stability and growth.