Pub. 8 2020 Issue 2

12 The Community Banker www.mibonline.org DESPITE PANDEMIC, MSU BUSINESS STUDENT BEGINS SUMMER INTERNSHIP, LOOKS TO THE FUTURE By Isabelle Ivankovich B OZEMAN—From the begin- ning, Montana State Universi- ty student Isabelle Ivankovich has been determined tomake the most of her college experience. And this summer, despite the coronavirus pandemic, Ivankovich is continuing to do just that with a career-focused internship. A student in the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepre- neurship, Ivankovich is completing an internship at American Bank in Bozeman through the college ’ s Community Banking Program. “ I am so fortunate to have an opportunity to work with an out- standing local business like American Bank, ” Ivankovich said. “ Amer- ican Bank, in conjunction with MSU, provides for an opportunity to learn from talented and experienced people as I apply my education to professional pursuits. ” The Community Banking Program is a partnership between the Montana banking community and MSU ’ s business college. It is intend- ed to help meet the demand for well-trained graduates interested in careers in banking, according to Tim Harvey, an adviser for the program and an instructor in the business college. Students in the program complete coursework related to community banking, and then they complete a paid internship with one of the participating banks across the state of Montana. Students receive academic credit for their internship. At American Bank, Ivankovich ’ s work will focus on marketing efforts involving all of the bank ’ s branches. “ I hope to learn how to market a company that has traditionally relied on word of mouth and referrals to bring them business, ” Ivan- kovich said. Ivankovich, who is originally from Snohomish, Washington, chose to enroll at MSU after visiting the campus with her father, Domi- nic Ivankovich, who graduated from MSU in 1994 with a degree in chemical engineering, and who in 2017 was inducted into the MSU engineering college’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni. “ During that tour, I fell in love with Jabs and chose it right away, ” Ivankovich said of her decision to major in business. She got involved in campus right away, too. As a freshman, she joined MSU ’ s student chapter of the Ameri- can Marketing Association. A highlight of that year, she said, was attending the association ’ s annual International Collegiate Con- ference in New Orleans, where she reached the finals out of more than 350 entrants in the competition ’ s Perfect Pitch competition, in which participants have 90 seconds to pitch themselves for a job at a specific company. As a sophomore, she served as vice president of membership in the MSU AMA. Next year, as a junior, she ’ ll serve as executive vice president. “ Some key takeaways from my time with AMA have been the ability to delegate to directors, how to properly participate in a board meeting and how to effectively communicate via email, ” Ivankovich said. “ I absolutely think my work with AMA will help my career, as these are lifelong skills, regardless of the career path I end up choosing. My AMA colleagues have quickly become some