Cole Hamilton, a West Virginia University Institute of Technology student, has been selected for a competitive IT internship with Pendleton Community Bank (PCB), a longtime WVU Tech Communiversity partner, committed to student success through education, career development, and community engagement.
Through this internship, Cole will gain hands-on experience supporting enterprise-level information technology operations within a financial services environment. Working alongside PCB’s IT team, he will assist with daily system management, troubleshoot software, hardware, and network issues, and help monitor system performance, security alerts, and data integrity across financial platforms. The internship also provides exposure to industry and regulatory compliance standards, including FFIEC, NIST, and PCI-DSS. Additional responsibilities include supporting end users with access management, participating in system updates and testing, assisting with documentation, and learning cybersecurity best practices essential to financial institutions.
“This opportunity allows students to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting while developing critical technical and professional skills,” said Susan Wood, the Director of Career & Professional Development at WVU Tech. “Partnerships like the one we share with PCB create meaningful pathways for students to explore careers, gain experience, and prepare for the workforce.”
The internship reflects WVU Tech’s ongoing commitment to experiential learning and PCB’s dedication to investing in the next generation of professionals, which demonstrates how strong community partnerships can make a lasting impact on student success.