Kadin Groen ‘26, of Sioux Falls, is double majoring in finance and fintech — part of the Augustana University Fintech Program by Pathward™. He is also a cross country and track & field student-athlete and can often be found at Augustana’s Fintech Seminar Series. This summer, Groen interned with The Bancorp in Sioux Falls, a financial services company that supports the payments and banking needs of nonbank companies.
Because of Groen’s successful internship, he was offered a role at The Bancorp as a product development analyst. The Bancorp will also host the Augustana Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program’s Leadership Academy and fintech majors at its headquarters for an upcoming panel discussion with senior-level executives. Groen will moderate the discussion.
Q: What are your career goals/aspirations?
A: Work with the top players in the industry to help grow the space/company to bring a benefit to others.
Q: Where or 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 pursue running and compete with a team for a national championship. I also knew that the quality of the education was very good and would set me up for success later in life.
Q: What did your job duties include?
A: Test products before they are released into the market and work with the partner to improve what is currently being provided. I’ve transitioned into more of a data analysis 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 the internship? Did anyone help you?
A: Applied online when I was looking for opportunities in the fintech space.
Q: What did you enjoy most about your internship?
A: Being able to work with the top partners in the industry is exciting, and the constant pressure to develop and offer something innovative adds to it.
Q: What did you learn/gain from the internship?
A: I want to have a deeper understanding of how the issuing bank works and the partners it works with (payment networks, third parties) so I can offer more insights in my future jobs. I also gained some technical analysis and skills that I can leverage to become more valuable.
Q: What does the opportunity to moderate The Bancorp panel discussion for Augustana MBA and fintech students mean to you?
A: I'm excited about the chance to moderate the panel discussion with fintech leaders and the MBA Leadership Academy. It's a fantastic opportunity for us to gain insights from those who have achieved significant success in the industry, and I'm grateful to be part of it.
Q: Why is experiential learning important to you in your future endeavors?
A: It gets a foot in the door for future jobs post graduation and gives you a head start in the industry, giving you more opportunities. It also allows you to test yourself and work on the application of the skills you acquired during your time in school.
Q: How important is building relationships/connections?
A: Huge — if you don’t have relationships with the people around you, advancing or even starting a career is much more difficult. Finding people that you can work with, ask questions of and learn from allows you to grow much quicker and opens so many doors.
Learn about the 2,000+ jobs and internships posted annually by the Augustana University Student Success Center at Augie Opportunities.