First Impression: The Apartment-Hunting Call that Led to a Career Start

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Posted on August 5, 2024

Thomas Becnel

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Mackenzie Endres didn’t realize it at the time, but her best career move came during her sophomore year at the University of South Alabama.

She was majoring in finance, with a part-time job leasing apartments just off campus. She made a phone call to a woman looking for a rental unit for her son.

Endres didn’t close that deal in Mobile, but she did impress Karen Morris, who turned out to be senior vice president and relationship manager at River Bank & Trust.

“She said I sold her so well that she wanted me to come work with her,” she said. “She has a daughter my age, and I think that helped it work so well. She became my work mom and boss all in one.”

For the next two years, Endres shadowed Morris and learned different aspects of the banking business. After graduation this spring, she began working full time at the River Bank branch on University Boulevard.

She’s just down the road from the University, but starting the next chapter in her life.

Endres, 22, grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. She thought about studying marine biology, but decided on a business program.

Her sister Alexis also went to South, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2020. Their father Jake, who served in the Army for 22 years, had plenty of advice for his daughters.

“He was very big on working in what you’re passionate about,” Endres said. “As long as you’re passionate, money and happiness will follow.”

She and her dad share a passion for scuba diving in the Caribbean. They’ve made more than 50 dives and earned advanced certification.

“We both wanted to go farther,” she said. “We wanted to see things you couldn’t see from snorkeling. Looking back at the GoPro footage, it’s like, wow, we were there.”

At South, Endres was active in the Financial Management Association and the Chi Omega sorority, but she never forgot her roommates in Azalea Hall.

“My freshman year was a great time to make friends and find opportunities,” she said. “I recommend that to anyone. You’re all in the same boat, so you gain a South family.”

In the Mitchell College of Business, Endres’s favorite class included work on the JagFund — the Jaguar Investment Fund, where students decide on stock investments and money market decisions for a $2 million account.

She remembers making a pitch for buying shares in D.R. Horton, the largest homebuilder in the nation, which was poised for more growth. She still checks in on that stock, which is doing well.

At River Bank & Trust, Endres started out as a part-time assistant to a commercial lender. She’s worked with everyone from students her own age to veteran business leaders.

Her life closely follows the calendar on her smartphone.

“I like a schedule,” Endres said. “I like knowing where I’m going to be. If it’s not on my calendar, I’m probably not going to be there.”

Her duties include client relations. After hours, there are community events, business meetings and social affairs. She’s more interested in serving customers than doing financial analysis.

“I realized I’m much more of a relationship person,” she said. “I’d much rather see people than work with my head down.”

From the beginning, starting with that first phone call, Endres had Morris’s confidence and support. That’s one reason she’s continuing her career with River Bank.

“At the time, I thought I realized the opportunity I had, but looking back, I don’t think I did,” she said. “She’s poured so much into me that I’d be crazy not to stay.”

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