Economics Major Lands Highly Competitive Internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Hannah Providence ’22 had yet to take a course at the University of New Haven, and she was already thinking about her career and her life after college. She joined the University last fall as an Economics major in the College of Business’ Fast-Track program and having amassed so many college credits in high school, she aimed to complete her bachelor’s degree in only two and a half years.

With an eye on the future, she began looking last August into internships, and the Sophomore Career Exploration Internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York caught her eye. She applied, received a call back for an interview, then another. Within about a week, she received an offer.

Providence will be in Manhattan for eight weeks this summer, as part of The Fed’s corporate track internship program, with a focus on business, finance, and analytics.

"It’s a heavily mentor-based program, and I will be able to learn from and network with people who will have so much to teach me," Providence says. "It’s a perfect gateway to full-time employment. They are very set on making this program about sustainability, about keeping interns, and turning them into full-time staff."

"It’s a perfect gateway to full-time employment."Hannah Providence ’22

‘I have a huge passion for personal finance’

David Sacco, Economics lecturer and one of Providence’s mentors, says interning "will give Hannah insight about, and exposure to, one of the most important institutions of our national economy. She will get a chance to see how the concepts and skills she is learning about at the University are applied in the real world and at the highest levels of this field. Equally important, for all students, is the opportunity to network with and meet people who will be resources for then as they get ready to enter the workforce and start their careers."

Justin Gawronski, program coordinator for the Fed’s Early Careers & Diversity Recruitment Team, says the interns chosen to be part of the highly competitive program "stood out by aligning with the public service mission at the heart of the Fed, and bringing a diverse variety of experiences from all majors and backgrounds.

"Beyond working on impactful projects, interns will also receive training on soft skills to help support their career aspirations – both at the Fed and beyond," Gawronski adds. Providence has been busy mapping out her future from the time she started her first job at 15, assisting at her aunt’s daycare. "I have a huge passion for personal finance," she says. "My parents aren’t rich, I’m the youngest of 10 children, and I’ve always been so fascinated with being able to budget.

"As soon as I got my first job, I said 'what am I doing with my first paycheck. Where is this money going?' My main goal at the time was getting a laptop, and I saved for it. I realized how important it was to come up with financial goals and to try to achieve them."

‘I knew I found my people’

She was drawn to the University of New Haven’s College of Business because of the Economics program, the faculty-student ratio, and the Fast-Track program. From the moment she stepped into her classes, "I knew I found my people," she says, of classmates who quickly became friends and faculty members who, she says, inspire her daily.

"I love the College of Business," she says. "The Orange campus is my home. I can go there and sit in a room for three hours and complete seven or eight assignments. The serenity, the calm, the quiet – it’s everything."

She smiles when she speaks of the pace of her life and the four to five to-do lists she might create in one day, as she juggles taking 19 credits, working 10 hours a week for the University’s Admission’s office, helping to develop an inventory management system.

She also works 15 hours a week for Yale University’s Information Technology Department, having started as an intern in high school. Today, she manages the internet and service provider accounts, handling $300,000 in monthly invoices, and assisting on data analysis projects.

"I like analyzing huge sets of data and creating a solution to a problem," she says.

"I love the College of Business. The Orange campus is my home."Hannah Providence ’22

‘I would hire Hannah for any business that I was involved in’

She takes the city bus each day from her family’s home in New Haven and the shuttle back and forth between the West Haven and Orange campuses. "It can be time consuming, but I listen to music, and sit with my thoughts," she says.

That quiet time, and working out at the Beckerman Recreation Center with her best friend, and being with her family are how she decompresses from days that also include writing for The Charger Bulletin, handling social media for the Honors Student Council, and doing research for the Economics and Business Analytics department’s "Liberty Initiative" in which students engage in research related to the free enterprise system, specifically how it relates to increased opportunity and outcomes in Connecticut, the New England region, and the United States.

"Her schedule and the planning she has already put into her academic career are quite impressive and quite atypical for most first-year college students," Professor Sacco says. "She has a clearly thought-out plan for what she wants to get out of higher education and has put in place a solid plan to maximize the value and efficiency of her time at the University. This demonstrates a tremendous understanding of the most basic principles involved in the study of Economics. I am new to teaching, but I have spent 30 years in the business world and would hire Hannah for any business that I was involved in."

This semester, Providence is taking part in the Fed’s webinars to prepare for the internship. "I’m very proud to be part of it," she says. "The Fed has a huge influence on America and the economy. I want to see what everyone’s roles are, to get that insight. I can’t wait."