Andrew Jack '12 works as a financial institution specialist in San Francisco with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). "I travel from bank to bank, evaluating their overall safety and soundness, as well as examining their records and speaking with bank management to make sure they are in compliance with federal regulations," he said. "Every bank is different, depending on where it is located and what its goals are, so my job continuously offers new challenges. This job has taken me to big cities and small towns, and has given me experiences I would not have had with many other jobs."
In the summer before my senior year, I did a 10-week internship with the FDIC, which I had learned about from the Career Development Office (CDO). This was the first time the FDIC offered this particular internship, and somehow the CDO got wind of it and let me know about it. I had been looking for internships on my own, but I don't think I would have found this one without Kenyon.
I went to Kenyon thinking I was going to be solely a math major, but my sophomore year, I ended up taking two economics classes from professor Galina An, and absolutely loved them. My interest, passion, and career in economics all came from those first two classes with Professor An.
Although my job with the FDIC is very bank specific, Kenyon took a holistic approach to economics that forced me to think about concepts and theories instead of just working through textbook problems. This has helped me better understand the economic needs and struggles faced by the different communities I travel to, and the role that the banking industry plays within these communities. Strong analytical skills that I gained from math courses with great professors such as Brad Hartlaub and Brian Jones also have widely contributed to my success so far at the FDIC.
Kenyon's connection to the world enhanced my knowledge and experience, enabling me to spend the first semester of my junior year taking classes in the Czech Republic through the Council on International Educational Exchange. The Czech Republic proved to be a great place to study economics, because it recently transitioned from a government-run economy to a more free-market model.
Lastly, I grew a lot as a writer at Kenyon. Even though I never took a writing class, I was always writing a paper. This has proven to be a great asset because plenty of writing is required for the job I am doing now. At the end of each bank examination, we write a report of our findings that has to be clear and thorough because portions are posted for public referral.
I applied to a whole bunch of schools, but Kenyon was an easy choice for me. It was the best school academically and offered me the most generous financial aid package.