Isaiah Boswell from Dickinson College shares how a pinch of curiosity, a dash of determination and an assist from TWC landed him a great job after graduation.
I came to The Washington Center as a Sam Rose scholar in the spring of 2014 with an existing interest in banking and finance, and I interned with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Strategic Employee Organization and Development (OSEOD). But my time in D.C. really cultivated a newfound interest in the financial regulatory system for me. On my way to work every day, I would walk past the Federal Deposit Insurance Building, and in a way it inspired me. It made me realize how close I already was to all of these powerful institutions. It made me wonder: What do they actually do?
So one day, I decided to go in and find out for myself.
What I found there had me hooked. I spent some time at the small museum exhibit in the agency’s headquarters and immediately felt a calling to serve. I was very interested in learning more about the agency's role in the enormous task of financial regulation and what it would take to get my foot in the door.
That experience, with some help from TWC, encouraged me to enroll in the FDIC’s Financial Management Scholars Program during the summer following TWC. This internship is part of the federal government’s Pathways Program – a highly competitive initiative that helps people get entry-level positions. I worked with a team of financial-institution specialists who examined the strength of FDIC-insured banks in the Boston area – similar to the “stress tests” the government introduced after the 2008 economic downturn. After completing the program, I was extended a full-time offer to continue with FDIC as a financial-institution specialist after I graduate from Dickinson College in May.
TWC helped open this door for me. Before coming to TWC, I had never even been to Washington. My work at OSEOD and in Essentials for Aspiring Leaders, a TWC academic course, helped me develop the skills young professionals need to be successful in the 21st century. Outside of the office and the classroom, I volunteered with Reading Partners D.C., a nonprofit leadership organization that supports under-resourced schools. I found tremendous value in the TWC professional development workshops. These experiences and lessons prepared me to market myself for an opportunity like the one I’ve taken with FDIC.
Finding a job is one of the most stressful aspects of graduating from college. You feel the pressure of living up to expectations, making your parents proud and fulfilling your dreams. TWC enabled me to take control of that fear and proactively get ahead in my career. When I look back at the original set of goals I set for myself when I arrived in Washington, I accomplished every last one of them before I left. That’s a good feeling.
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