Brooke Rockouski is currently serving as a Marketing/Communications Intern at Marine Credit Union (MCU). A member of the co-ed business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, she is a senior at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse planning to graduate this June with degrees in marketing and leadership development.
Hockey was a big part of Brooke’s life in her younger years having played a total of 11 years during middle and high school. Although having graduated from a prestigious private high school, Brooke chose UW-La Crosse because she said it was “reasonably priced and close to home.” Being close to her family home in Hatfield, she said, was important and found herself going home every two weeks to do laundry and see her dog.
Why marketing? “I love the creative aspect of marketing,” she said and added that she hopes to see herself, after graduation, working for a company that she can grow with. Working at MCU? “I love it,” she said. “I love the people I interact with. I really like getting to know everyone. We do collaborate and I know I can rely on different people from different departments.” She said she would like to live in a larger city again but would certainly consider working at MCU after she graduates.
Brooke is no stranger to credit unions. She shared that her mother has worked for the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) for the past seven or eight years. “Credit Unions really care about people rather than profit,” she commented. Brooke said she realized how the core values at MCU are “going to change lives through the products we have.”
Brooke has also played a big role in the Heart of MCU initiative. “This project – show(s) how everyone has some sort of a story with MCU. MCU has shaped many lives in some way. This sets MCU apart from other organizations,” she added. “We really are a big team, and everyone has a positive impact.”
Although she shared that she has had a few other internships, she felt her internship with MCU has been the most beneficial for her. “I have developed more professionalism. I really appreciate the freedom I have been given in the projects,” and added that she has been allowed to “speak up” and add her thoughts to the projects she has worked on. She said she has felt that the people she has worked with at MCU have made her feel valued.
Outside of work, there is only a bit of pond hockey for Brooke now, claiming she misses playing but is a “little rusty.” Brooke enjoys hanging out with friends and visiting her family and her three-year-old dog Tucker, who they adopted when he was only eight weeks old. “He’s our family dog,” she added. “He’s a little stinker.”