Community First selects 6th generation of college interns

MANGILAO, Guam—Community First Guam Federal Credit Union announced the selection of two Guam students for its spring 2024 Community First Internship Program, which develops and mentors college students from the University of Guam and Guam Community College to pursue careers in the finance industry.

Community First welcomes the following interns selected for the 2024 Spring program:

Jovelyn Concepcion

University of Guam student majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and graduating in the spring of 2026

Lana Paulino

Guam Community College student pursuing a degree in Computer Science and graduating in the fall of 2024

Concepcion and Paulino will join three interns who are continuing their program from fall 2023:

Princess Fernandez, University of Guam student pursuing a Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting degree and graduating in the fall of 2024

Bryne Garcia, University of Guam student studying Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and graduating in the spring of 2024

David Lagman, University of Guam student studying Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and graduating in the spring of 2024

Gerard Cruz, president and CEO of Community First, stated, “Now in its sixth year, the Community First Internship Program has trained and developed more than 40 interns from Guam’s higher learning institutions. Our team is committed to the success of this program because it provides our island’s students with firsthand experience in the finance industry.”

During the program, students earn an income while they are mentored by a Community First manager and trained in the credit union’s policies and procedures. The interns utilize their experience to springboard into a career in the finance industry while gaining valuable experience working part-time and earning their degrees. Students work around their class schedules and train as a team two days a week.

Cruz added, “We encourage college students interested in working in finance to apply for our internship program this summer for the upcoming fall term. Our interns benefit from mentorships and gain valuable experience, which are valuable when applying for jobs after graduation.”

Community First launched the student-run credit union in January 2018 in the heart of Mangilao, strategically located near the UOG and GCC. This student-run service center, the first of its kind in Guam, is operated by college students enrolled at UOG and GCC. The service center is open to serve all existing and new Community First members.

Community First Guam Federal Credit Union is a community-chartered, full-service financial institution serving the community of Guam since 1962. The credit union has four Member Service Centers: the new 15,000-square-foot Hagåtña Headquarters and Member Service Center, Tamuning, Dededo, and Guam’s first Student-Run Service Center in Mangilao. The credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. Engage with Community First online at cfirstguam.com or on Facebook and Instagram (@cfirstguam). (PR)