Voices of SLIP Part I: Sophomore Leadership Internship Program Participants Share Their Summer Experiences

Voices of SLIP Part I: Sophomore Leadership Internship Program Participants Share Their Summer Experiences

This summer, GM Financial welcomed a third cohort of students to the Sophomore Leadership Internship Program (SLIP), a component of the company’s participation in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Partnership Challenge. As part of their internship, the SLIP participants took part in a series of interviews detailing their experiences at GM Financial. In the first part of this series, we will meet the 2023 SLIP participants, learn about their initial thoughts on the program and hear how they navigated the transition into a corporate environment.

Meet our SLIP participants

Ariel is a rising sophomore at Texas Southern University studying Finance. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Ariel hopes to become a financial adviser after noticing the lack of financial literacy resources in her community. As a SLIP participant, Ariel explored multiple areas of the auto finance business and got an early start to her career.

Chase will be a sophomore at Howard University studying Supply Chain Management this fall. Chase, who is passionate about statistics, said that GM Financial’s culture particularly stood out to him. He loved everyone he worked with and the supportive, family-like environment at GM Financial.

Chamari will be a junior in the fall at Prairie View A&M studying Finance. With a passion for financial literacy, especially in the Black community, Chamari plans to use her degree to share her knowledge with others.

Logan is a rising junior at Prairie View A&M studying Marketing. She values learning and appreciated her participation in SLIP because it gave her an in-depth look into the finance industry, something she said will help with her future coursework and understanding of certain financial situations.

What makes the Sophomore Leadership Internship Program different from other internship opportunities?

“SLIP is unique because we don't have a set of tasks to complete each day. Each week we shadow a different department, learn new skills and hear from different leaders,” said Ariel.

During their internship, the SLIP participants shadowed several departments, most notably Global IT, Commercial Risk Analysis and Remarketing. “It's kind of like a trial run,” said Ariel. “It's given me really good direction for the rest of my career.”

What do you like most about GM Financial?

"The culture!" said Chase. "The people here have a genuine bond and connection, which is something that grabs my attention each time I come in."

Chase believes that roles and responsibilities within a company can be taught, but not culture. From birthdays and work anniversaries to project completions and recognition, the SLIP participants particularly loved that no success was too small to celebrate. To them, it was obvious that team members across the company genuinely enjoyed working alongside each other – something that the SLIP participants agreed would influence them when they enter the corporate world.

During your time as a SLIP participant, have you encountered any notable challenges?

"Navigating the hybrid, 9 to 5 lifestyle has been a transition," said Logan.

The SLIP participants mentioned that their experience was a great introduction to not only the 9 to 5 lifestyle but the hybrid work environment. They stated that they have developed strong communication and problem-solving skills because of their collaboration with GM Financial team members across the world. Chamari, Chase, Ariel and Logan described how valuable it was to watch GM Financial leadership navigate these circumstances and expressed comfort in being prepared to navigate it themselves in the future.

This summer, Chamari, Chase, Ariel and Logan enjoyed learning about the auto finance industry and experiencing the corporate lifestyle. In part two of this series, the SLIP participants will detail how the program has impacted their personal and professional lives.

By Sophia Knapp, GM Financial

Sophia Knapp has a passion for writing and uses her talents to bring people together. In her free time, you’ll find her cheering on her favorite team, the TCU Horned Frogs.