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Western Bank and 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ Baptist University have partnered to create new opportunities for students, beginning with the bank’s first intern at its Plainview location.

Christina Sandlin, a senior business administration major at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ, is the first to take part in the initiative.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to put into practice what I’ve learned in the classroom,” Sandlin said. “I’ve gained insight into everything from opening business accounts to learning the details required for nonprofit organizations. It’s more than I expected, and it’s helping me discover that finance is truly my niche.”

Dr. Donna Hedgepath, president of 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ Baptist University, praised Sandlin’s pioneering role. “She is a true pioneer—the first intern in this new partnership,” Hedgepath said. “Christina is taking classroom theory and applying it in the real world, and that’s exactly the kind of experience we want more of our students to have.”

Jovanna Duffy, Senior Vice President and Human Resources Director at Western Bank and a 2012 and 2019 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ alumna, said the internship program is a natural fit. “As a 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ graduate, this partnership tugged at my heart,” Duffy said. “We wanted to do something meaningful for both 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ and Western Bank, and Christina has been a delight to work with.”

The experience benefits both students and the bank. “We want our interns to learn all aspects of banking—from compliance and operations to marketing and business development—so they leave with a clear understanding of the field,” Duffy said.

Sandlin, who will graduate in December with additional certificates in business leadership and banking and finance, said the internship is shaping her future goals. “Ultimately, I’d like to open a nonprofit,” she said. “This internship is showing me what it takes to get there.”

Frances Barrera, Western Bank’s Plainview President, serves on 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ’s Board of Trustees, and the financial institution has many ties to the university. The Plainview location opened last year and construction of the bank’s permanent Plainview building at 1010 Kermit was completed earlier this year.

Established in 1909 in Van Horn, Western Bank is a 116-year-old family-owned community bank now headquartered in Lubbock, where Dan Odom serves as President and Chief Executive Officer. In addition to the Plainview location, Western Bank has three Lubbock locations, a full-service mortgage division in Lubbock, and nine other locations from Gruver to Brownwood. The bank employs 143 people.