It is pretty common to see graduates of an institution give back to their alma mater, whether that is through monetary donations, volunteering their time, or just spreading the word about their experience. Emily Pearson, a 2013 Business Administration graduate, has a unique way of giving back to Catawba College, while also creating opportunities for students on campus as well.
Pearson works as a Business Initiatives Consultant at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, N.C. While a student at Catawba, Emily interned with Wells Fargo in the summer after her junior year.
“My internship was in Lending Authority for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. In this division, I learned the ins and outs of the mortgage industry and much about regulation and the mortgage underwriting process.”
In addition to this internship experience at Wells Fargo, Emily also chose to take another internship opportunity during her senior year.
“I participated in an internship with a local Salisbury firm, Statewide Title, during the winter term of senior year. This gave me a well-rounded resume and offered a different experience in comparison to the large scale size of Wells Fargo.”
After graduating from Catawba, Emily continued her journey at Wells Fargo because of connections and relationships she made during her internship there.
“I maintained the connection with my manager from the Wells Fargo internship, which led to being offered a position on a new team that she had responsibility for. Over the last five years, my career has progressed and Wells Fargo’s culture and size have afforded me the ability to seek out the role that I am passionate about.”
A role that Pearson is passionate about is one that now allows her to come back to Catawba and recruit current students for not only internships, but also full-time positions as well. Through the Audit Internship program, Emily is able to promote several opportunities at Wells Fargo for Catawba students.
“My goal in my position was to increase Catawba’s exposure to larger organizations, to afford additional opportunities to Catawba students. I know how difficult it was for me to find an internship and work opportunities when I was a student, and I believe in the value Catawba students can bring to the table.”
Through her efforts, last summer Catawba had two students hired into the Audit Internship Program and is expecting to send three more students to join that program this summer.
It is clear that Emily worked from the ground up to get to where she is now, starting with that internship at Wells Fargo. However, Emily credits not just Catawba, but its faculty and staff, for helping her get to where she is today.
“I believe that Catawba provided a solid foundation for my professional career…the Business School in itself is special, due mostly to the faculty and staff. Key professors made all the difference for me; I was not just a number, I was valued.”
