Thomas More University held the final round of the annual mock interview competition, supported by Republic Bank & Trust Company and alumnus Richard Lindhorst ’75.
After an initial round of virtual interviews, the top 10 students progressed to 20-minute in-person interviews. These students went through a rigorous evaluation process during their interviews with the top three students awarded a combined $2,000 in total compensation.
“I believe practicing and coaching the interview process for young professionals is important for their personal development,” said Mollie Flanagan, sales and service manager with Republic Bank. “We met some great people who are excited for their career path! I look forward to partnering with Thomas More again next year.”
In this year’s competition, first place was awarded to Katelyn Weldon, second place to Sophia Hermosilla, and third place to Emily Denney.
Students were evaluated on nine different measures including overall preparedness, the depth of their answers, and professionalism. Following the interviews, students received detailed feedback and recommendations.
Several Republic Bank representatives served as judges for the competition.
“I have had the privilege over the past two years of participating as a judge in the Thomas More University Mock Interview competition,” said Joe Schlimm, vice president and senior business banker with Republic Bank.
“Interacting with these talented students during the Mock Interview competition is refreshing for me as a judge to experience and appreciate the hard work and effort that they place on their education and career development. The competition allows Republic Bank to participate and benefit from first-hand experience and interaction with today’s young people, who will be tomorrow’s business leaders, community leaders, and possible new Republic Bank employees.”
“It’s a privilege to sit as a judge in the mock interview competition for the second year in a row,” adds Rachel Strunk, vice president and regional sales director for Republic Bank.
“The students we meet through this process from Thomas More University are the future leaders of our area. They exhibit exactly the kind of professionals that Thomas More helps to cultivate. To be a witness to that fuels my own passion for career development among the teams at Republic Bank and beyond. Congratulations to the winners. It is well deserved.”
