CEDARVILLE, OHIO – Struggles are essential for future success. This is a lesson Felipe Mayta is learning as he studies economics and finance at Cedarville University.

What once felt like a dream slipping away has turned into an opportunity of a lifetime for Mayta. The junior from Peru was awarded a summer internship with the World Bank Treasury in Washington, D.C. — a role he will begin on May 28, 2024.

Securing the internship was daunting for Mayta, as 16 students — less than 1 percent — were selected from the pool of 2,400 applicants.

“I was very emotional after learning that I was afforded this internship opportunity,” said Mayta. “When I unexpectedly moved to America to be closer to family, I feared that I was sacrificing my career and opportunities back home. But, as I continue to learn at Cedarville, God is providential, and he loves to give us fun surprises.”

That’s certainly the case for Mayta as he prepares for the internship of a lifetime in the nation’s capital.

For 10 weeks, Mayta will complete three separate multi-week rotations while managing funds and assets loaned to other countries. At the end of the summer, he will present his capstone report of his team’s advancement to the World Bank Treasury management team. Upon completing the internship and training, he will be offered a two-year appointment upon his graduation in 2025. The World Bank Treasury manages the World Bank’s finances, as that institution works to reduce poverty by lending money to governments and promoting worldwide shared prosperity. The bank has earned global recognition for being one of the world’s largest and most knowledgeable funding resources for developing countries.

While his dream was altered when he moved to the United States, Mayta still has plans to return to Peru and build a sustainable economic landscape for his country. With the World Bank Treasury’s training, Mayta will be one step closer to making a lasting impact on the lives of others.

“Growing up in Peru’s capital, I recognized that the Lord blessed my family with more opportunities than others from more rural areas. Many people I knew struggled to get career opportunities due to stigmas about their appearance or their family. This disheartening reality led me to study economics and drew me towards the mission of the World Bank Treasury,” said Mayta.

Mayta credits Cedarville University for shaping his mission to help others find economic and spiritual prosperity.

“At Cedarville, we all have different majors, but one like-minded mission, which is to evangelize and show love to others,” he said. “While interning at the World Bank Treasury, I want to promote their mission as an organization and my calling to love others.”