Meet Domenica
Internship: Adams Community Bank
College: MCLA
Domenica Gomez, a junior at MCLA, has gained work experience and perspective through the Berkshire Interns program—and she’s ready to share it with others.
Domenica is active on her campus—she’s on the cross country team and gives tours to prospective students and their families as an admission ambassador. A double major in international business and sociology, she was looking for an internship that could give her some office experience and relate to her academic work; she found one at Adams Community Bank, and learned she was part of the BI program after being hired.
It was a welcome surprise—in addition to her work with the bank’s human resources department, BI gave her career development resources and access to senior business leaders in the Berkshires.
“It was awesome to be able to learn from the bank’s executives,” she said. “I really liked the topics they covered in BI, and I wanted to be part of it.” She attended networking events sponsored by BI, learned about giving an elevator pitch, and learned about efforts to increase representation in the Berkshire County workforce—an ongoing process in a county that’s more than 90 percent white.
“I really enjoyed learning about diversity, inclusion, and representation in the workforce. As a person of color, I’m interested in seeing more people of color in the bank industry,” Domenica said. “Talking to other business leaders allowed me to see myself being that leader in the future, being able to help other, younger people get involved in the community by doing things they’re passionate about.”
Domenica grew up in Lenox after her family moved to the Berkshires from Ecuador when she was 12. She attended the predominantly white Lenox Memorial Middle and High School. At MCLA, she found more women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community she could relate to, but said it’s still tough to find role models in the professional space.
“We can do better—we can try to hire people not just to check those boxes, but because we genuinely want to support those communities and create generational success,” she said. “It’s helpful for me to feel like my voice can be heard, that there are people I relate to that can offer support. When I walk into a room and there aren’t many people there I can relate to, it can be less comfortable for me to express myself. A lot of people I’ve talked to have felt that way. Representation can be empowering.”
After she graduates, Domenica wants to work in the global education sector. It’s a natural move for an international business professional who sees herself as part of a cycle—as she continues to learn and gain access to the professional world, she will share her knowledge and network with other students.
“I have had great mentors that allowed me to feel comfortable with my own skills, and have helped me be confident enough to help other people now,” she said. “If I’m able to do that with the education I’ve received, with what I have learned through this experience with BI…that’s a value that can be shared. Some people don’t have the same opportunities. When I lived in Ecuador, I didn’t have the opportunities I am granted now. I want to be able to help other people with what I have learned.”
