DSU partnership with TD Bank opens doors for students

Delaware State University’s partnership with TD Bank is creating pathways to careers for students. This summer, DSU students Tymere Thomas, Chaasahn Hughes and Elijah Taylor took important steps toward their careers through internship opportunities created by the partnership. Thomas and Hughes earned return offers, while Taylor benefited from career coaching that will support his next steps.

For JoAnn Means, senior diversity talent sourcer at TD Bank, the partnership reflects both professional commitment and personal connection. Her sister, Dr. Carrie Awadzi, is a professor at DSU and often encourages her students to reach out for advice. Means then mentors the students through mock interviews, LinkedIn updates and one-on-one coaching.

That preparation, she said, made a visible difference for Thomas, Hughes and Taylor. “The professionalism and performance of these DSU students made them clear choices for conversion,” Means said. “I could not be more proud of what they accomplished and the bright futures ahead of them.”

Means emphasized that this is just the beginning. She plans to remain active on campus, continuing to mentor and prepare the next wave of DSU students to seize opportunities at TD and beyond.

Tymere Thomas: Finding His Voice in Finance

Finance major Tymere Thomas of Wilmington, Delaware, also credits his DSU professors with giving him the skills and confidence to thrive in his internship. Courses in speech, business and operations management taught him discipline, time management and leadership.

“My professors created space for me to strengthen my leadership skills and always prioritized student success both inside and outside the classroom,” Thomas said. “Their guidance helped me grow into a more confident and capable business professional.”

At TD Bank, those lessons translated into impact. Thomas’ approachable style and communication skills earned him the Communications Award, voted on by his fellow interns. The experience confirmed his career goal of working in wealth and portfolio management, and he accepted a return offer to continue in TD’s two-year rotational program.

Chaasahn Hughes: Turning Classroom Lessons Into Corporate Success

Financial Planning and Wealth Management major Chaasahn Hughes of Brooklyn, New York, said his DSU coursework gave him the technical knowledge and confidence to succeed in a corporate setting, where he frequently applied lessons from class during his internship.

“My courses gave me more than just definitions and terms,” Hughes said. “During my internship at TD, I was able to connect what I learned in class directly to real-world conversations, and that gave me the confidence to contribute.”

Hughes also emphasized the role his professors played in sharpening his soft skills. “Through class presentations and group projects, my professors pushed me to grow as a communicator and presenter. Those experiences carried over directly to my internship,” he said.

During a branch visit, Hughes saw firsthand the importance of building trust with customers, a lesson he connected back to DSU’s emphasis on relationships and leadership. “My professors prepared me to not only have the knowledge but to use it in a way that builds trust,” he said.

The experience reaffirmed his commitment to financial services and his drive to help families and communities make stronger financial choices.

Elijah Taylor: Expanding Skills for the Future

Elijah Taylor, a Liberal Studies major from Wilmington, Delaware, said his internship at TD Bank gave him the chance to apply what he learned in class to real corporate projects. One of his assignments involved creating a confluence page to streamline communication across 15 strategy teams, an experience he said pushed him to be both resourceful and intentional.

Taylor added that growing up in the inner city shaped the way he approached the opportunity. “I went into the internship like a sponge, eager to gain connections, learn new terminology and understand the back-office processes of a bank,” he said.

Taylor said he now plans to align his concentration in accounting with his passion for financial literacy and content creation. “I want to use social media to make financial literacy accessible to the younger generation from an earlier stage,” he said.