After graduating from high school in Milwaukee, Yesenia Delgado was going through a difficult time in her personal life. With a desire to work in financial services, she struggled to find any opportunities. After discovering an ad for BankWork$ at Employ Milwaukee on Facebook, Yesenia knew she was on the path to achieving her dream.  “I always had this goal of wanting to work at a bank, but I thought it would require a college degree, but it turns out I was wrong. After I applied for BankWork$, I got a call, and the next thing I knew, I was there doing assessments and an interview,” recalls Yesenia.

For Yesenia, BankWork$ was nothing short of life-changing. She joined the program in April 2022 and graduated that June. Despite the program’s intensity at times, Yesenia was optimistic about her experience and full of praise for the program’s instructors, Adriene Wright and Oscar Delgado. “I gained a lot more positivity. I tend to doubt myself a lot regarding things like this, but Adriene and Oscar helped me develop my skills to become a more confident person,” said Yesenia.

After completing the program, BMO hired Yesenia as a Relationship Banker, where she loves helping customers and impacting her community. When asked what drew her to the banking industry, Yesenia stated, “I’m passionate about helping the Hispanic community develop financial skills. As young adults, we don’t get taught a lot about our finances, even in schools, and I felt it was important for me to teach them to be more knowledgeable. I love that I get the opportunity to help customers and be involved with my community. It’s not just a job for me. It’s a passion.”  

Adriene Wright, the BankWork$ instructor at Employ Milwaukee, was impressed with Yesenia’s attitude toward learning. “Yesenia was a pleasure to have in the classroom. She was the confident supporting voice in the room for everyone, a leader who always volunteered and assisted others. We knew that she would be an asset to any company she would join by bringing seasoned experience, a passion for helping others, a willingness to learn, and determination to succeed,” said Adriene.   

Yesenia said about her experience with BankWork$, “it’s a lot of knowledge to take in within eight weeks. It can be stressful at times, but you already know that on the other side is a successful life and career.”  

Click here to learn more about BankWork$ at Employ Milwaukee.