Hennessey graduate joins Community State Bank after earning business degree
For many young people growing up in a small town, graduating means leaving home for college and often beginning a career somewhere else.
For Hennessey native Alan Perez, leaving town was part of the plan. Coming home was, too.
Perez recently joined Community State Bank in Hennessey after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in business management.
A 2022 Hennessey High School graduate, Perez attended Hennessey Public Schools from pre-K through his senior year. He played football from fifth grade through high school and competed in powerlifting from seventh grade through graduation. He also took up golf his senior year, a hobby he continues today.
At UCO, Perez’s longtime interest in numbers initially had him considering finance or accounting, but his outgoing personality eventually led him toward business management.
“I’ve always been a fan of numbers,” Perez said. “But I’m also a people person. I like talking to people.”
Perez’s path back home began during his junior year of college when he spoke with Community State Bank about employment opportunities. That led to a summer position at the Hennessey bank. During his senior year, he worked at the bank’s Cashion location, gaining experience as a teller and learning the lending side of banking.
After earning his degree, Perez could have pursued opportunities in the Oklahoma City metro, but instead chose to return home.
“I just wanted to be a part of this community,” Perez said. “At some of those bigger banks, you just don’t get as close to your customers as you do here.”
For Perez, that personal connection is what makes community banking appealing.
“Here, it’s more about helping people,” he said. “That’s what I like to do. I like to help people and make dreams come true.”
Perez hopes his new position is the beginning of a long banking career, right here in Hennessey.
About The Author
