BankUnited partners with FIU to build talent pipelines and break barriers in STEM

For university students preparing for life post-graduation, there’s always one question: What’s next?

FIU prepares students to excel in their careers after they walk across that stage and into their new lives through academic programs, world-class instructors and paid internship opportunities.

A partnership with BankUnited exemplifies FIU's efforts to help students achieve a new level in their careers.

CREATING A TALENT PIPELINE THROUGH PAID INTERNSHIPS

To BankUnited, a successful team encompasses a diverse, talent pipeline that’s ready for career advancements and opportunities within. That’s what iCARE™, BankUnited’s inaugural program that encourages employees to advance from their current positions with mentorship and career guidance, is all about. 

It’s also what sparked BankUnited’s iCARE™ Internship Program and new partnership with the Talent Development Network, South Florida’s premier internship hub and career development program that’s housed in FIU’s Office of Engagement, to create the Spring 2022 iCARE™ Internship Program specifically tailored for current seniors.

“One of my favorite experiences of the program were the workshops we attended every Friday with the Talent Development Network,” said FIU alumnus Roberto Hernandez '22, who just landed a BankUnited job as a credit products analyst. “We met with different industry leaders and professionals who gave great advice and taught us valuable skills, like how to build our LinkedIn profiles or how to build a great resume.” 

Via a cohort style model, interns worked together with managers and department heads – ranging from the Credit Center to the Chief Investment Office –  and learned through hands-on training and weekly professional workshops, which helped the students develop valuable skills for their professional, academic, and personal lives.

“The iCARE™ Program is totally different, it’s extremely unique,” said Diana Garcia Aponte '22, an FIU alumna and now junior securities portfolio analyst at BankUnited. “I was placed directly in the Chief Investment Office, where I was able to work with portfolio managers and high-end executives. It was all hands-on.” 

After a semester of training, four FIU students were offered full-time jobs with BankUnited upon graduation. They accepted and are starting their full-time jobs with BankUnited within the next month.

“We have been so impressed by the dedication and commitment of the FIU students to excel throughout their internships,” said Angelica Coronel, VP, iCARE™ Program Manager. “Their eagerness to learn and grow opened opportunities for FIU students to secure permanent roles at the bank. We are looking forward to onboarding the new 2022 iCARE™ interns at the end of this month!”

PAVING THE WAY FOR WOMEN IN STEM THROUGH THE ATOM PINK TANK

Not only is BankUnited working to expand its diverse talent pipeline through paid internship opportunities and internal career advancements, but it’s also working to empower women in STEM through FIU’s ATOM Think Tank, a technology-focused organization run by faculty from the FIU College of Business’ Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics.

The ATOM Think Tank, a six-month leadership development program, creates a space for female students in STEM to sharpen their data analytics skills and create projects that are geared toward real-world business challenges.

Throughout the program, students are mentored by senior-level STEM business executives, AKA the “Pink Cabinet,” and at the end of the program, the students compete in a hackathon/Shark Tank-style challenge to present their creative solutions, with the chance to win scholarship awards that can be applied toward their FIU tuition.

“This program came from our desire to create a forum to educate, inspire and support women to reach their fullest potential,” said BankUnited’s Senior Vice President Jackie Bravo (MAcc '05).

The first ATOM Pink Tank launched in November 2021 consisted of teams of students who were tasked with examining three sets of data, which included data on high school students, college-level students in the U.S., and data specific to FIU, to identify the discrepancies between male and female hiring in STEM professions. They were then tasked to share their findings and proposals to improve women's participation in STEM with BankUnited representatives and judges. The competition was held live this April.

The students found extremely low participation rates in most STEM professions, except for the healthcare industry. They found that girls are discouraged from taking math and science classes at a young age and don’t have mentors to help them along the way, and they also found that girls describe themselves as bad at math, resulting in lower enrollment in STEM degree programs in South Florida colleges.

Their solutions?

There’s more than one: the teams proposed exposure to specific toys for young girls that can enhance engineering skills at an early age, developing interest and love for engineering while building their confidence in problem-solving. The teams also presented more scholarship opportunities for girls in STEM fields; websites and social media support groups for young women interested in STEM; and educational apps that include resources, mentoring, and networking opportunities.

“The students in the program shined, some even receiving internship positions at BankUnited,” added Bravo. “I’m proud of the impact this program can bring to our community, the ladies of FIU and the future for women in STEM.”

So, when you’re ready to walk across that stage to grab your diploma, don’t ask “what’s next.”

Instead, ask: “How can FIU and its partners help me get there?”

The BankUnited team will begin recruiting interns for the Spring 2023 iCARE internship program by Fall 2022. For more information on the iCARE™ Internship Program, contact Alina Parbtani, director of the Talent Development Network, at aparbtan@fiu.edu. 

For more information on the ATOM Pink Tank at FIU’s College of Business, visit the website.