It’s National Intern Day 2020! On this special day, we’d like to recognize and celebrate the future leaders of our world: our interns! At Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Home Loans, that means expressing appreciation for our future superstars of mortgage lending.

(They’re already superstars to us, but you catch our drift!)

In honor of this year’s National Intern Day, we’re spotlighting one of our many dedicated intern superstars throughout our network of offices across the Gulf South.

Have you met Sam?

Sam Pennington, a summer intern in our Baton Rouge office, is one of our dedicated intern superstars!

A senior studying Finance and Analytics at Louisiana State University, Sam serves as Set-Up Coordinator for the Mortgage Department in the Baton Rouge branch. He helps verify the employment of borrowers applying for our wide range of mortgage loans. This position is a key component to ensuring a smooth underwriting process for our clients.

We caught up with Sam to ask a few questions about his summer interning at Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, in between enjoying his last summer as an undergraduate and his hobbies of playing soccer and kayaking. We also wanted to know how this opportunity has helped bolster his career plans for the future.

“Interning at Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Home Loans has been a really great experience to help me get my feet wet in the world of finance and lending,” Sam said. “It’s been fascinating to learn about the different aspects of the loan application process and I’m glad to serve in the key role of helping facilitate a seamless approval process for our loan applicants.”

“Helping take our borrowers from applicants to approved loan recipients into the underwriting process and, eventually, to happy homeowners has really illustrated the value of a dedicated, trusted loan officer,” Sam added. “I also feel grateful that I’m playing an important role in helping others achieve their dreams of homeownership.”

Following graduation, Sam plans to attend graduate school at LSU and earn his Master of Science in Analytics — a great choice, we think!

The need for skilled mortgage analysts has grown ever more important now that ‘big data’ analysis is used for actionable insights — from predicting mortgage rate changes to future home values to calculating risk. Sam’s education will prove indispensable as the mortgage industry continues to evolve, providing better loan products and faster approval processes to the millions of people who apply for mortgages each year.

From assisting our loan processors to shadowing the mortgage underwriting process and helping our loan officers maintain excellent service track records with our clients, our interns at Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Home Mortgage do a fantastic job! We always approach the opportunity to work with college students and other professionals who dream of careers in banking, finance and mortgage lending with a teaching heart.

We’re also happy to partner with nearby universities to continually foster internship programs and opportunities. These initiatives help our future banking and home mortgage leaders gain valuable on-the-job experience that jumpstarts their professional lives. If you’re a university looking to create an internship partnership, please reach out to us!

Are you a college student or potential career-changer looking to get a taste of a career in the banking or mortgage industry? We’d love to talk with you! Contact Sonny at 504-599-5733 or email us to learn more about our internship opportunities.

Did you know, we’re also hiring?!

If you’re a seasoned Mortgage Professional looking to make a move, we’re expanding! We’re looking to add Loan Processors, Contract Underwriters, Mortgage Loan officers and other positions to our team. Contact us to learn more and ask to speak with Sonny.

We wish all of our interns the best of luck in their future endeavors - from the bank that cares about you!