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Affinity Plus Intern to Travel Aboard the Millennial Train
Business Performance Intern, Sean Kolodziej, journeys across the country with fellow Millennials to learn about how college students manage their finances while in school and after graduation
ST. PAUL, MN (August 8, 2013) — Traveling 3,000 miles across the country on a train with a group of people who are of the Millennial generation to develop entrepreneurial and business skills doesn’t sound like a normal summer internship for most students; but for Sean Kolodziej, Business Performance Intern at Affinity Plus, this is the track his internship is leading him.
The opportunity to climb aboard the Millennial Train was presented to Kolodziej in June by Tasha Dahl, Manager of Financial Accounting at Affinity Plus, and leader of the area in which he is serving as an intern.
As part of the selection process, Kolodziej prepared a video in which he shared a testimony about his goals if he was chosen as one of the 24 participants on the Millennial Train. Then he had to post the video on the online fundraising Web site www.crowdsourcing.org with the goal to raise $5,000. As stated in his video, Kolodziej is on a mission to measure the levels of financial literacy in the Millennial age group, and provide them with resources that will empower them to make smart financial decisions.
“I learned about the Millennial Train through Good Inc., and thought it would be a great way to gather information from the 18 – 30 year old age group about how they manage their finances while they’re in school and after graduation,” explains Dahl. “We also wanted to get out there and share information with Millennials about steps they can take to improve their financial situation which includes getting out of debt and improving their credit score.”
The Millennial Train will depart from California on August 8, and will make its final stop in Washington D.C. on August 17. The seven cities the journey covers include the Bay Area, Salt Lake City, Denver, Omaha, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. Each time the train stops, the 24 selected Millennials will hop off for six hours to pursue the knowledge for which they are searching by administering surveys, engaging in conversations with people about the their areas of interest, and providing informational materials to educate people about their areas of interest.
Following their city excursions, the Millennials will return to the train and have the opportunity to discuss their experiences with each other and the On-Train Mentors whose fields of study vary to provide insight and feedback to participants, as well as help them develop entrepreneurial and business skills.
Kolodziej will be documenting his experience aboard the Millennial Train on his blog http://seankolodziejmtp.wordpress.com/. Affinity Plus will be sharing his journey with members on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
“I never expected this internship to be so full of adventure, and to challenge me in such a unique way,” expresses Kolodziej. “This is such an incredible opportunity for me to gain knowledge first hand to develop my understanding of the Millennial generation and how students manage their finances, and to ultimately help them by passing along what I’ve learned to Affinity Plus.”
In the Fall, Kolodziej will be returning to school as a Junior at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., where he is pursuing a degree in Finance.
For more information about the Millennial Train Project, visit its Web site at http://millennialtrain.co/.
About Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit cooperative that puts people first above profits. We are committed to empowering consumers – for knowledge, for understanding and to know there are alternatives that focus on the success of people, not the bottom line. Members of Affinity Plus receive maximum value through competitive rates, minimal fees, and unique, member –centric products and programs. Affinity Plus is the largest credit union in Minnesota with state-based assets and has 27 branches located throughout the state. With more than $1.6 billion in assets, Affinity Plus is based in St. Paul and is owned by more than 160,000 members. Through a broad range of eligibility criteria, almost anyone can become a member of Affinity Plus. Additional information is available at www.affinityplus.org or by calling 800-322-7228.