Achieving Goals
Emilio Salinas is what most would call a go-getter, achiever or self-starter by nature. One thing is clear, he inherently sets big goals for himself and then devotes himself to accomplishing them.
After being one of the first students to transfer from Blinn College to the Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance program offered by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi at RELLIS in 2018, Salinas immediately set his eyes on the next stepping stone to his career goals – earning a place at the Mays Business School.
Then in the spring of 2020, Salinas managed to take that next step by applying to and earning his entrance to the Texas A&M University Mays Business School Commercial Banking Program.
Currently, Salinas, a Houston resident, is set to complete his bachelor’s degree from A&M-Corpus Christi this fall, but is already well on his way to completing a master’s program.
“I was able to enroll early in a few classes last spring and despite the changes due COVID-19, my experience with Mays has been really great so far,” said Salinas. “My time at RELLIS really helped me set the foundation and tone for success here.”
Salinas, along with four other students, was able to take advantage of a newly established agreement between the Mays Business School and the A&M-Corpus Christi College of Business programs at RELLIS that offered preferred admission to business majors with a 3.0 GPA or higher to the Commercial Banking Program. Each student was required to interview for an internship placement via the program’s member banks during the application and acceptance process to the program.
For Salinas, his internship provided a deep look into the world of commercial banking, including response to a global crisis, the importance of customer service and other key skill sets. His time with Central Bank has paid off not only in the level of experience he has gained, but with a part-time job offer this fall.
“Despite working remotely, I was given meaningful projects that allowed me to contribute to important reports that led to even more important decisions by the Board of Directors,” Salinas said. “My biggest take away from the experience was that by offering a quality experience, we attracted high quality customers, who were really a joy to help, even during a crisis.”
Salinas is also quick to give credit to his program and experiences at RELLIS for his current successes. As one of the first students on campus, Salinas has seen the potential of the campus become concrete growth and is looking forward to returning in the future.
“A traditional path is not always the best for some people, and RELLIS has been a great vessel to help me work toward my goals,” said Salinas. “This community and program invested in me and I look forward to returning to reinvest for future students.”
Originally published August 19, 2020
