2025 VBA Internship Program
Mentor Resources

Internal Links Monica McDearmon

You will find all VBA Internship Program materials, resources and templates on this page. The interns will also be given a link to their own resource webpage for use throughout the summer. Please contact Monica McDearmon with questions. 

Save the date for Virginia Intern Day on July 31, 2025! You can view the resources from the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership here.

View the Banking Industry Hiring Trends and Emerging Skill Needs Report for the American Bankers Association here.

Join us for a virtual mentor meeting on June 26 from 11:15-noon. A calendar invite will be sent to all participating banks.

Intern Registration Information

Banks are asked to register their interns by May 9, 2025. Please see the PDF below to complete the registration. Please note – you’ll need to copy pages 2 and 3 to register more than one intern for the program. Please contact Monica if you have any questions about this form.

2025 Mentor Orientation

VBA Certificate of Completion Requirements

Interns participating in the VBA Internship Program will be eligible to receive the Certificate of Completion if they meet the following requirements. Mentors are asked to send the certificate checklist and all necessary documentation to Monica no later than August 29.

  • 2025 Certificate Checklist
    • Complete an American Bankers Association (ABA) online training course OR equivalent online banking industry training (must be approved by the VBA). See below for more information on the ABA course options.
    • Complete a capstone project and presentation.
    • Participate in at least one of the in-person events (Intern Orientation or Mid-Summer Meet-Up) and at least three of the virtual VBA events.
    • Involvement in a community support or volunteer opportunity (banks will determine specifics of this based on opportunities throughout the summer).
    • Complete the VBA Internship Program self-evaluation.

ABA Online Course Information

Interns are required to complete an ABA online course OR equivalent online banking industry training (must be approved by the VBA*) to earn the VBA Certificate of Completion. 

2025 ABA Online Training Courses

*To have an equivalent online banking industry training approved, please email Monica the following information:

  • Name of training provider.
  • Name of online course.
  • Brief course description.
  • Estimated amount of time spent to complete the course.

Capstone Project & Presentation

Throughout the summer, interns will complete a capstone project and presentation on a banking industry topic. This project will be due by a date agreed upon by the bank and intern. Interns can either research one of the topic options listed below or a topic selected by the bank. 

In-Person Meetings

Interns must attend at least one of the in-person meetings as part of their certificate requirements.

Intern Orientation – May 29

10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the VBA Office, 4490 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA

Hotel Information
Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond
11049 West Broad Street
Glen Allen, VA 23060

We have a group rate of $131 available for the night of May 28. Please click here to make reservations by May 5. 

This one-day introduction to the program is a great opportunity for your interns to meet the other students in the program, members of the VBA staff and bankers from across Virginia. Sessions will include:

  • Welcome, Banking Industry, and Careers in Banking Introduction
  • VBA Internship Program Overview
  • Business Etiquette Presentation
  • …and more!

Intern Orientation Agenda

Mid-Summer Meet-Up – July 8

10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Virginia Housing Center, 4224 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA

Hotel Information
Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond
11049 West Broad Street
Glen Allen, VA 23060

We have a group rate of $131 available for the night of July 7. Please click here to make reservations by June 5. 

This one-day meeting will feature engagement with members of the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders Steering Committee. Sessions will include:

  • Capstone Project Research Rotations with EBL Members
  • Resume Workshop, Interview Skills and Other HR Best Practices Session
  • Presentation Skills Presentation
  • …and more!

Virtual Meetings

Interns must attend at least three of the virtual meetings as part of their certificate requirements.

The VBA will hold Zoom meetings throughout the summer for all interns participating in the program. We hope this provides a platform for our interns to get to know one another, learn about the industry, and hear from banking professionals from across the Commonwealth.

The meeting schedule can be found below. All meetings will be held from 10-11 a.m. except the Enneagram Workshop, which will be held from 10-11:30 a.m.

  • June 4 – Enneagram Workshop* (see below for more information)
    Laura Shibut
    *This session will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. and is designed for the interns and their mentors.
  • June 11 – What Are VA Millennial and Gen Z Consumers Seeking?
    Presentation by VBA Associate Member Rivel Banking Research
  • June 26 - Banking on Culture: Unlocking Workplace Success
    Candace Davenport, First Bank, Virginia (moderator)
    Thomas Claiborne, Chesapeake Bank
    Meredith Elliott, TowneBank
    Stephanie Webb, Benchmark Community Bank
  • July 2 – CRA 101
    Nathalia Artus, Atlantic Union Bank
  • July 16 - AI in the Banking Industry
    Paul Carney, Carter Bank & Trust
  • July 29 - Capstone Project Mini-Presentations
    This will be a time for the interns to share their top takeaways from their capstone project research with the other interns.

​enneagram workshop

*This session will run from 10-11:30 a.m. and is designed for both the interns and their mentors.

During this session, interns and mentors will become familiar with the Enneagram to identify with one of the nine personality types so they can be aware of their own personality and use it in the best way possible while understanding the general characteristics of others’ personality types. During the session, we will discuss:

  • Enneagram personality typing system and how it operates as a fluid and dynamic system
  • Know ways to develop more effective connections with others based on their Enneagram type
  • Become familiar with the general characteristics of the 9 types
  • Assignment for a post-workshop learning experience

Enneagram Test Information

Before the session, mentors and interns may want to take a test to determine their Enneagram type. Below are the test options:

  • Truity. This has great information about the 9 types. This test is free. https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
  • The RHETI from the Enneagram Institute. This test is one of the oldest in the marketplace and has been available for over 20 years.  This test comes with a comprehensive report and the website is robust and full of good information too.  The test is $12. www.enneagraminstitute.com
  • EnneaApp. The EnneaApp has good information about the 9 types and makes for a nice, quick reference.  Simply search “EnneaApp” in the App Store on your phone to download the free app.

Templates

Evaluation Templates

  • Template - Competencies 
    This template can be used at a mid-summer and/or final intern evaluation and includes a list of recommended competencies against which you can evaluate the performance of your intern using a scale of 1-5.
  • Template - Final Evaluation by Supervisor 
    This comprehensive evaluation template can be used at the end of the summer and includes a variety of opportunities for the mentor to provide specific feedback on the intern’s overall performance.
  • Template - Mid Summer or Final Eval with Competencies 
    This evaluation template can be used at a mid-summer and/or final intern evaluation and includes summary of performance for specific learning objectives as well as a list of recommended competencies against which you can evaluate the performance of your intern using a scale of 1-5. 

Additional Learning Opportunities for Interns

The Fed Field Trip

Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management Shadow Day

The 2025 session of the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management (Bank School) will be held at UVA in Charlottesville the week of July 20-25. On Monday and Tuesday, July 21-22*, interns will have the opportunity to visit in person and shadow classes. A full schedule for the Bank School Shadow Day will be announced soon. 

*Interns can attend either Monday or Tuesday, July 21 or 22. Please know that registration will be limited to 10 interns per day.

Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (VTOP) Modules & Resources

about vtop

The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (VTOP) connects Virginia businesses that have work-based learning opportunities to Virginia students looking for them, with Virginia’s higher ed institutions serving as the main catalyst.

You can learn more about VTOP’s regional resources here.

For interns

Interns can complete the VTOP Career Readiness modules. Modules cover the following topics:

  • Overview and career self-development
  • Communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Equity and inclusion
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism
  • Teamwork
  • Technology

Accessing the modules:

  1. Visit this website: https://virginiacoursecatalog.atomiclms.com/#/courses/3
  2. Enter their email in the “Free Enrollment” box.
  3. Follow the prompts to register for free.
  4. Check email to set up a password and complete the registration process (will come from Virginia Canvas).
  5. Once they have completed the registration process and logged in, they will click on the “Courses” button on the left side of the screen. This will allow them to select from the eight available modules.

for mentors

  • Developing an Internship Program Modules
    • Familiarize yourself with best practices for developing an internship program for your small to mid-sized business. Each of the nine modules offers fundamentals for getting started, time-saving resources, and strategies for successfully developing and implementing an internship as an employer. Modules include:
      • Definitions and Types of Internships and Work-Based Learning Opportunities
      • Successful Internship Characteristics
      • Program Development
      • Sourcing and Recruitment
      • Intern Onboarding and Training
      • Work Performance Management Tools
      • Competency and Skill Development*
      • Military Internship Opportunity
    • To access these modules, follow the steps listed above.
  • The Virginia Employer Readiness Toolkit is a comprehensive document to aid the employer community in building and expanding internship and work-based learning opportunities for higher education students throughout the Commonwealth. The readiness toolkit provides information and key resources to employers as they consider implementing these programs either at their place of work or remotely. The toolkit helps employers with their readiness for interns to ensure the quality of the experience for students, institutions, and businesses. 
  • Learn more about and join the Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers here.

vtop contact information

Alisha Bazemore
Assistant Director for Innovative Work-Based Learning Initiatives
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)
alishabazemore@schev.edu

YRichmond

ChamberRVA offers YRichmond, an internship engagement experience, to employers around the region each summer. This program connects interns at dozens of local companies of all sizes with each other and provides an enriching introduction to RVA and all it has to offer.

You can learn more about the program here.

ChamberRVA Contact:
Allison Pollock, Program Manager | ChamberRVA

Participating Banks & Mentor Contact Information

2025 Bank Contacts

2025 Participating Banks:

  • Bank of Clarke
  • Burke & Herbert Bank
  • C&F Bank
  • Chain Bridge Bank, N.A.
  • Chesapeake Bank
  • First Bank, Virginia
  • First National Bank
  • Pendleton Community Bank
  • Southern Bank and Trust Company
  • TowneBank