Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas — The City of Edinburg, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), and several regional banks signed a memorandum of understanding on June 5, 2026, launching the second year of the Bank On INT paid internship program.
Held at the Edinburg City Council Chambers, the ceremony celebrated a partnership designed to provide undergraduate students with hands-on experience in the financial sector while supporting workforce development and talent retention in the Rio Grande Valley.
Edinburg Mayor Omar Ochoa said the program gives students an opportunity to gain real-world experience while earning a competitive salary. Addressing the interns, he said they are entering the workforce during what he called a “transcendent time” for the region, citing continued growth in Edinburg and across the Rio Grande Valley.
EEDC Executive Director Raudel Garza said workforce development remains critical to economic development and noted that employers frequently ask about the region’s labor force. He described the internship program as a tool for retaining local talent. “This program just drives it home in terms of the need to keep our brain trust here,” Garza said.
Dr. Giorgio Gotti, dean of the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship, said the program brings together higher education, economic development leaders, local government, and the banking industry to create meaningful career opportunities for students.
“For our finance and business students, internships are not just a way of building a resume,” Gotti said. “They are transformational experiences.”
Bank representatives highlighted the program’s early results. Rio Bank and Vantage Bank reported hiring former interns into full-time positions, while speakers encouraged the new cohort to build professional networks and gain practical knowledge of the banking industry.
Julian Alvarez, executive vice president and director of community relations for Lone Star National Bank, said participating banks have learned from the students as well.
“They talk to us about Bitcoin, mining, AI, and other topics I might never have been exposed to otherwise,” Alvarez said. “These young men and women are incredibly bright, and we’re fortunate to have such talent here in South Texas.”
Alvarez also called for greater exposure to banking careers before college, noting that high schools generally do not offer programs focused on teller operations, mortgage lending, or other financial services careers.
Texas National Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer Rafael Medrano said the internship allows students to explore career paths before graduation and suggested that UTRGV and industry partners consider developing a formal banking program. He noted that the Texas Bankers Association supports similar programs at universities elsewhere in the state.
Throughout the ceremony, speakers described the internship program as an investment in students, local employers, and the future of the Rio Grande Valley’s financial sector. The event concluded with the signing of the memorandum of understanding and recognition of the students selected for the program’s second cohort.
Participating institutions included Greater State Bank, Lone Star National Bank, Rio Bank, Texas National Bank, and Vantage Bank, as well as the City of Edinburg, EEDC, and UTRGV.
