“I saw this as my first opportunity to push myself,” Unterriener said.

For Nidhi Maurya, another teller, the internship is a way to tap into a field in which both her father and sister work. Part of the appeal of the position is helping students who may be intimidated by money management and guiding them toward the right choice for them. Another perk is visiting elementary and middle schools in the area to teach students of all ages about money, from how to identify different coins to what starting a business looks like.

“I think it’s really good to see how well it’s working in one school, in one community,” Maurya said.

On April 26, Maurya waited with her fellow interns, their supervisors and Royal Credit Union staff to welcome U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, DFL-Minnesota, who visited to learn about the financial education the credit union provides to the school district. The visit came about when the branch tagged Phillips in a tweet. He replied on Twitter and, 15 minutes later, called an aide in his Minnesota office to set up the visit, said Phillips' press secretary Sam Anderson.

“What you’re learning here is going to pay dividends not just to you but to our country,” Phillips told the students after listening to a presentation about their work.

He had many questions for the students — can students take out a line of credit? How many students have an account? (Yes, co-signed with a parent or guardian; around 250, plus several staff members) — and expressed his enthusiasm for the concept throughout the 30-minute visit.

“I’m wowed,” Phillips told the students. “My first reaction is, every school should have this.”