Liberal Arts student explores career options through internship in Hawaii

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Before coming to college, Emil Rabor, a fourth-year Penn State student majoring in economics, has always been interested in finance and the stock market. This summer, he had the opportunity to intern with Northwestern Mutual in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Rabor is from Pearl City, Hawaii, just 30 minutes from Honolulu. He decided to attend Penn State because he wanted to experience a new environment, one completely different than “growing up and living on a rock,” he said. Rabor chose Northwestern Mutual for the opportunity to learn more about the financial world.

“I was already involved in investing and stocks, but I really wanted to learn more about those two things, as well as why money is the way it is and resource allocation, which are important in economics,” Rabor said.

Support from the Virginia Todd Chapel Executive Internship Program made this internship possible for Rabor, he said. The program awards Liberal Arts students $5,000 to assist with the costs associated with being a full-time, in-person summer intern in the business or private sector.

Rabor said the award allowed him to pay for logistical aspects of the internship like summer housing and transportation to and from Hawaii. It also allowed him to fully embrace what it is like to be a financial representative and be able to set up client lunches or dinners.

“[Northwestern Mutual] was my first internship, and to get accepted into the Chapel executive program was exciting,” Rabor said. “I have never received anything like this or this much money before. It was a huge help, and I could not have done it without the program.”

As a financial representative, Rabor began by finding his clientele through cold-calling people and finding what industry to specialize in, he explained. After narrowing down his clientele, he helped his clients map out how they could reach their personal financial goals through different strategies and recommendations.

“It is much different than your regular internship, but I enjoyed it because I was building my book of business,” he said, noting that, while he did have a mentor, he worked independently for the most part. “It forces you to put in your own effort. You cannot slack off and expect to get something out of it.”

Because he had to cold-call people, Rabor faced rejection at times. However, he said having the mental strength and courage to pick up the phone and make another call kept him going. His mentor taught him that sometimes he must “learn to eat the frog” when he dreaded reaching out to more clients, said Rabor.

Although the independence was enticing for him and made the experience unique, Rabor said he enjoyed working with his mentor and other financial advisers to help develop strategies for unfamiliar markets. He also connected with other employees and interns through a monthly “pau hana,” a tradition in Hawaiian culture to get together and celebrate the end of a hard work week. 

“Those were my favorite events because they showed that the people in the office, especially the higher-ups, cared about morale and their employees’ mental health,” Rabor said. “It was nice to relax and not focus on work all the time.”

When he was free from creating strategies for clients, Rabor spent time with family and friends and enjoyed his Hawaiian summer outside of work.

“We went hiking every weekend and visited the beach often,” Rabor said. “With many types of cuisine in Hawaii, we would try a different restaurant every week.”

Reflecting on his time at Penn State, his internship and his future, Rabor said the move from Hawaii to Pennsylvania was difficult at first: “It was a huge culture shock, but I learned to fit in with everyone, make new friends and embrace any new opportunity that came my way.”

He said the internship helped him explore interesting career opportunities and validated that he wants to learn more about the financial and data analysis side of economics.

After graduating in December, Rabor plans to look for a job on the east coast. “I am looking forward to living a new life and gaining experience in the real world before applying to grad school," he said.

His advice for fellow students?

“Put in the effort and the work toward any goals they have for future career or academic opportunities," said Rabor, "and it will all work out the way it is meant to.”

This is one in a series of stories about Liberal Arts students participating in Chapel executive internships this summer. Students interested in applying for the Chapel Executive Internship Program for fall should apply by the Sept. 1 deadline through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network.