A business management student, Carmen Mata, arrived in Paynesville on Oct. 3 to start her internship at the Paynesville office of the Melrose Credit Union.Carmen said she will be working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the credit union, helping customers and learning the day- to-day operation of the business.
A native of Cordoba, Spain, Mata is looking forward to learning about the American banking system and experiencing winter in Minnesota.
Carmen said our fall weather is comparable to their winter in southern Spain. The first time she saw snow was in England as an exchange student. At that time, the snow only lasted a very short time.
Carmen arranged her internship through Aisesec, a program on the internet which tells what internships are available and the type of person needed to fill the position. “There are 86 countries with internships available,” she said.
While in Paynesville, Carmen will be staying with three different families: Juanita Moser, Dennis and Rosie Lieser and Dr. Greg and Ann Freidrichs.
“I want to experience different things at work while I’m here,” Carmen said. She also feels it was challenging for her to come here. I want to learn to ski and snowmobile, she added. I want to meet different people and travel a little bit.
Carmen said she gets two weeks off during her stay here in addition to weekends.
“I’m really looking forward to a white Christmas while I’m here,” she added.
Carmen comes from a small family and has one brother. Her father is a policeman and her mother a housewife. Even though they live in a large city (300,000), their ties are to a small rural community where her aunts and uncles and grandmother live.
Carmen said she isn’t used to seeing so much grass. In southern Spain, the climate is drier and not very green. “We only have grass in parks,” she added. She is enjoying seeing all the grass and trees. The countryside of Cordoba is known for its olive trees and olive oil industry, she said.
Carmen said she enjoys sports and hopes to get to know the area during her stay in Paynesville.