The students in our 2024 intern program recently completed their summer internships and have returned to school or are pursuing post-graduation plans. During their ten weeks with the SF Fed, the undergraduate and graduate students gained hands-on work experience, built their professional networks, and learned how a Reserve Bank supports the overall mission of the country’s Federal Reserve System.
As the interns were finishing this year’s program, we asked them to reflect on their experience. Here are some of the key insights we learned from them.
Meaningful Projects, Meaningful Results
From Information +Technology Services and Supervision + Credit to Law Enforcement and Federal Reserve Financial Services, SF Fed interns work across all of the bank’s business lines. During their time with the bank, they contribute directly to key SF Fed priorities. For example, Justin Duong, a student at San Jose State University, was placed in the Law Enforcement group, where he contributed to digital tools. During her internship, UC Davis student Asise Bhinder, who worked with Federal Reserve Financial Services, created a dashboard to forecast currency volumes at district and national levels and for individual denominations. As Malik Jefferson, a graduate student at UC Berkeley who spent his internship in our Legal + Risk group, noted, the chance to directly contribute to specific projects was “the most interesting thing” about his summer at the bank.
The interns reflected on the results of gaining such real-world experience. As Jonathan Ke, who spent the summer in the Supervision + Credit group, shared with us, he appreciated how much he learned about the work and responsibilities of the SF Fed’s bank examiners.
Besides understanding specific roles at the SF Fed, our interns develop important professional skills. Ana Wahlleithner, a student at UC Berkeley, felt she gained a deeper understanding of the role the field of economics plays in public service. Jace Mica, who worked with our External Communications team, highlighted what he learned about the importance of networking. His previous internships, he noted, “were remote, so I didn’t really have an opportunity to have a coffee chat with managers, coworkers, or even other interns.” However, having the chance to “really connect” while at the SF Fed, helped him understand, “how important it is to just reach out to others and give myself a chance to learn from them.”
Words of Wisdom and Plans for the Future
“It goes by fast!” That was Serina Thompson’s response when we asked what she would tell members of next year’s class of interns. In their answers to this question, Karmina Ayoub, who worked in the bank’s People + Culture group, and David Chivers, who spent his internship with Supervision + Credit, both emphasized exploring the bank and talking to as many people as possible. As Karmina advised, “Talk to as many people as possible . . . because they have a great story that can be very relatable and reassuring to your own experiences.”
We appreciated the talent and enthusiasm that members of the 2024 class of interns brought to the SF Fed, and we wish them the best of luck in the next phase of their academic and professional development.
We have launched the recruiting process for our 2025 summer internships. So, if you are an undergraduate or graduate student who is interested in learning more about the SF Fed and the Federal Reserve System, we would encourage you to apply. You can learn more about our internships and other student programs at https://www.frbsf.org/work-with-us/student-programs-and-internships/. If you are interested in other career opportunities, you can find information about them at https://www.frbsf.org/work-with-us/.
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The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the management of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.