Kadin Groen ’26, of Sioux Falls, is majoring in finance and fintech, as part of the Augustana University Fintech Program by Pathward™He is also a student-athlete in cross country and track and field and can often be found at Augustana’s Fintech Seminar Series. This summer, Groen interned at The Bancorp in Sioux Falls, a financial services company that supports the payments and banking needs of non-bank businesses.
Due to the success of his internship, Groen was offered a position as a Product Development Analyst at The Bancorp. The Bancorp will also welcome Augustana Master of Business Administration (MBA) ProgramThe Leadership Academy and fintech majors will gather at its headquarters for a roundtable with senior executives. Groen will moderate the discussion.
Q: What are your career goals/aspirations?
A: Working with top industry players to help grow the space/business to benefit others.
Q: Where and how did you hear about Augustana?
A: Both of my parents attended Augustana.
Q: What is/are the reason(s) you chose to come to Augustana?
A: I came here to practice running and compete with a team for a national championship. I also knew that the quality of teaching was very good and would prepare me for success later in life.
Q: What were your duties?
A: I test products before they go to market and work with the partner to improve what is currently offered. I have evolved into a more data-driven role, where I work with large files to test products, develop dashboards and tools for executives, and help streamline internal processes.
Q: How did you get this internship? Did anyone help you?
A: I applied online when I was looking for opportunities in fintech.
Q: What did you enjoy most about your internship?
A: Being able to work with the best partners in the industry is exciting, and the constant pressure to develop and deliver something innovative makes it even more so.
Q: What did you learn/gain from the internship?
A: I want to better understand how the issuing bank and the partners it works with (payment networks, third parties) work so that I can bring more knowledge to my future jobs. I have also gained skills and technical analysis that I can use to become more useful.
Q: What does the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion at The Bancorp for Augustana MBA and fintech students mean to you?
A: I am thrilled to have the opportunity to host the roundtable with fintech leaders and the MBA Leadership Academy. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to benefit from the insights of those who have achieved significant success in the sector, and I am grateful to be a part of it.
Q: Why is experiential learning important to you in your future endeavors?
A: It opens the doors to future employment after graduation and gives you a head start in the industry, which opens up more opportunities for you. It also allows you to test yourself and work on applying the skills you learned during your studies.
Q: How important is it to build relationships/connections?
A: It’s huge. If you don’t have relationships with the people around you, it’s much harder to advance or even start a career. Finding people you can work with, ask questions of, and learn from allows you to grow much faster and opens many doors.
Learn about the more than 2,000 jobs and internships posted each year by the Augustana University Student Success Center at Augie Opportunities.