Hometown: Waxhaw, North Carolina
School: Texas A&M University

RMA Journal: What led you to focus on banking as a career choice?

Blake Givens: My initial exposure to the banking industry was through my father. He worked in the industry for several years during my childhood and through most of my teenage years. When I got to Texas A&M, I became a finance major knowing I would want to follow in my father’s footsteps. Through his work and my involvement in the Texas A&M Commercial Banking Program, I have been able to see how banks positively impact their communities and how banking can build longlasting relationships between lenders and clients. Banking combines financial service with community involvement and is something I cannot wait to become a part of.

RMA Journal: Why are banks important to business, families, and communities?

Blake Givens: Banks help people realize their dreams and serve as a catalyst for economic production in communities. Without banks, many people would not have the financial means to do things like begin their own business or buy a house for their new family. When banks make loans they are not only providing financial assistance, they are helping members of the community accomplish their goals and realize their dreams. When a new business is started, that business has the opportunity to grow and create additional jobs in the community. That new employee now has more money to spend at other businesses and creates even more economic activity. The financial services banks provide are vital to the prosperity and growth of communities. Businesses, families, and entire communities are all beneficiaries of the services that banks have to offer.

Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
School: Western Michigan University

RMA Journal: What led you to focus on banking as a career choice?

Emmanuel Machena: I have a passion for making people's lives better by creating real opportunities that scale beyond their own dreams. From the average family starting a business to the largest corporations on the planet that employ thousands of people, everyday banking decisions give me the opportunity to impact the world in a significant and profound way.

RMA Journal: Why was the scholarship important to you?

Emmanuel Machena: This scholarship has allowed me to focus on my dreams and goals without worrying about the high expenses of college. This amazing opportunity to study for a degree is not easy, and it is great knowing that there are organizations such as RMA that are empowering passionate students to follow their dreams and one day influence the banking industry. I am overjoyed that RMA has seen my potential. I look forward to paying this scholarship forward.

RMA Journal: Why are banks important to business, families, and communities?

Emmanuel Machena: Banks sit at the center of all economies and markets, driving growth and creating industries that have sustained many civilizations, as well as all the institutions we have today. Recent literature has suggested that government has failed, thus, I believe that now more than ever, banking is the leading tool to meaningfully eradicate poverty and empower people and their communities around the world. The world needs less aid but more sustainable funding, and banking provides just that through lending—which in turn grows corporations and businesses that provide jobs, enabling communities to become self-reliant and prosperous.

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
School: University of Florida

RMA Journal: What led you to focus on banking as a career choice?

Kristen Mousa: I have always been interested in the way businesses are run, from familyowned shops to major corporations. I have learned that, regardless of size, banks play a major role in the success of any company. Whether it be the granting of a loan, or advisory on an important merger, banks are a crucial element to creating an efficient and effective economy. Through a career in investment banking, I hope to help businesses reach their strategic goals, thus allowing our economy to run more smoothly and improving the life of the everyday consumer.

RMA Journal: Why was the scholarship important to you?

Kristen Mousa: Last year, I was selected for the University of Florida's Master of Science in Finance Combined Degree Program, which allows me to obtain both my bachelor's and master's degrees in finance within four years. This program is extremely important to me, as the faculty and coursework have inspired my focus on banking, and have provided wonderful career and networking opportunities. However, taking graduate classes sooner than expected does come with increased tuition costs. I am grateful to be receiving the RMA Scholarship, as it will help cover my higher tuition, and allow me to focus more on my studies and career path.

Hometown: Woodmere, New York
School: City University of New York - Baruch College

RMA Journal: What led you to focus on banking as a career choice?

David Rosenthal: When I began my education at Baruch College, I was not sure what I wanted to go into; there were so many options and incredible pressure to choose my career path at 18. From the start, I decided to get involved on campus and learn from others who had been in my position, leading me to join the TAMID Group. Through my experience with TAMID I was able to be part of, and even lead, teams on probono consulting projects for Israeli startups. I saw time and again that one of the biggest needs for emerging companies is managing finances, and that partnering with a bank that actually cares about the business makes or breaks its chance at success. This experience led me to my career in banking, and to my internship in the Global Corporate Bank of JP Morgan, where I was able to see firsthand how banking and financial services help to enable so many amazing companies to survive and grow.

RMA Journal: Why was the scholarship important to you?

David Rosenthal: As someone hoping to create a successful career in banking, it is extremely important to me to be and live in the center of the financial world, New York City. While attending college and living in Manhattan has enabled me to learn a tremendous amount about the industry through firm visits and coffee chats, living in New York while attending college is no cheap venture. The generous scholarship that RMA has awarded me will help to relieve some of that financial burden and enable me to continue pursuing a career in banking.

Hometown: Oldsmar, Florida
School: University of Florida

RMA Journal: What led you to focus on banking as a career choice?

Troy Strominger: Banking provides a blend of all the aspects I am looking for in a job. It is intellectually stimulating, team-oriented and, most of all, a people business. The hands-on experience I have gained in the industry has allowed me to fully grasp and appreciate what a career in banking is about. Each day we are able to help clients across a range of industries solve some of their most pressing issues. Banking will continue to be a dynamic career path in which every day the news you read directly impacts both you and your clients. Not one day is the same, and it pushes you to continue to move forward to make a difference in the lives of others.

RMA Journal: Why was the scholarship important to you?

Troy Strominger: The scholarship relieved some of the financial burden of college tuition and allowed me to focus on preparing for my future career.

RMA Journal: Why are banks important to business, families, and communities?

Troy Strominger: Banks provide the oil for society’s wheels to keep running. Whether through extending credit to families and small businesses or providing large corporations access to capital and products that help them operate efficiently, banks create an avenue for growth and opportunity. Banks help to build and maintain the strong communities we all enjoy.