Grace Student Banks College Credit
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The finance and accounting double major is working at the downtown Warsaw branch of MutualBank through Grace College’s Applied Learning program.
The Applied Learning program was implemented this year to give students a chance to go out in the community and learn more than they are in the classroom. It is intended to include a broader range of experiences to help students expand their knowledge of their area while earning real credit.
Beginning Jan. 1, Grace students must complete 12 credits of Applied Learning to graduate. One credit equals 40 hours of service. The requirement will be applied to new students at Grace this year. It is pro-rated for this year’s sophomores through seniors but not required for them to graduate.
LaGioia, from Chicago, Ill., said working at MutualBank seemed like the best option for him that correlated with the finance field.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to get my foot in with the banking world,” LaGioia said.
He started at the bank about Jan. 15. The first few weeks he spent with the receptionists, answering phones and preparing envelopes. The next couple of weeks, he worked with the tellers.
Then LaGioia spent a few weeks “in the vault,” recording transactions, counting money and other duties.
“The last few weeks I’ve been sitting in with the loan counselors and seeing how the process works, seeing how people get loans and how credit scores are determined,” he said.
During his work at the bank, LaGioia said he got to see the inside of an ATM and got to help put money inside it.
Working in the vault provided him with a lot of “hands-on” experiences, he said.
Before his time at MutualBank, LaGioia said he didn’t know too much about how the loan process worked. The employees at the bank really helped him to understand it, he said.
The Applied Learning program at Grace has been worth it for LaGioia.
“It’s definitely a good thing,” he said. “It really depends on how you come into it. If you are looking to learn, you can definitely find it.”
He said the program can provide students with experiences to see if their major is really what they want to pursue. His experience at the bank has definitely been a good one for him, he said, and one he’d like to do again. If he can’t keep working at MutualBank through the Applied Learning program, LaGioia said he’d like to try another bank or somewhere else in the financial field.
“Everyone I’ve worked for so far has made sure I understand everything and let me ask questions. The majority of things were new to me, so it’s great to have them helping me,” LaGioia said. “I think it’s worked out pretty well. They have it so the different Applied Learning places you can go to are well within your major.”[[In-content Ad]]
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The finance and accounting double major is working at the downtown Warsaw branch of MutualBank through Grace College’s Applied Learning program.
The Applied Learning program was implemented this year to give students a chance to go out in the community and learn more than they are in the classroom. It is intended to include a broader range of experiences to help students expand their knowledge of their area while earning real credit.
Beginning Jan. 1, Grace students must complete 12 credits of Applied Learning to graduate. One credit equals 40 hours of service. The requirement will be applied to new students at Grace this year. It is pro-rated for this year’s sophomores through seniors but not required for them to graduate.
LaGioia, from Chicago, Ill., said working at MutualBank seemed like the best option for him that correlated with the finance field.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to get my foot in with the banking world,” LaGioia said.
He started at the bank about Jan. 15. The first few weeks he spent with the receptionists, answering phones and preparing envelopes. The next couple of weeks, he worked with the tellers.
Then LaGioia spent a few weeks “in the vault,” recording transactions, counting money and other duties.
“The last few weeks I’ve been sitting in with the loan counselors and seeing how the process works, seeing how people get loans and how credit scores are determined,” he said.
During his work at the bank, LaGioia said he got to see the inside of an ATM and got to help put money inside it.
Working in the vault provided him with a lot of “hands-on” experiences, he said.
Before his time at MutualBank, LaGioia said he didn’t know too much about how the loan process worked. The employees at the bank really helped him to understand it, he said.
The Applied Learning program at Grace has been worth it for LaGioia.
“It’s definitely a good thing,” he said. “It really depends on how you come into it. If you are looking to learn, you can definitely find it.”
He said the program can provide students with experiences to see if their major is really what they want to pursue. His experience at the bank has definitely been a good one for him, he said, and one he’d like to do again. If he can’t keep working at MutualBank through the Applied Learning program, LaGioia said he’d like to try another bank or somewhere else in the financial field.
“Everyone I’ve worked for so far has made sure I understand everything and let me ask questions. The majority of things were new to me, so it’s great to have them helping me,” LaGioia said. “I think it’s worked out pretty well. They have it so the different Applied Learning places you can go to are well within your major.”[[In-content Ad]]
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