For Moemen Ibrahim ’26, an assignment to reach out to a Franklin & Marshall College alumna on LinkedIn led to much more than a career conversation. It became the beginning of an internship and an introduction to the world of innovation at Fulton Bank — and has also led to a full-time job.

Ibrahim first connected with Amanda Burton ’02 while exploring career paths as an F&M student. Burton, who had built a career spanning behavioral health, information technology, and operations, had created the Fulton Innovation Institute to connect students with real-world business challenges. She invited him to coffee at Mean Cup in Lancaster.

“About 15 minutes into our conversation, it became clear that he was exactly the kind of curious, driven, and innovative thinker we look for,” Burton said. “I knew he would be a great fit for an Innovation Intern role, so we worked to make it happen.”

That opportunity made Ibrahim the first F&M student to participate in the Fulton Innovation Institute. Now a software developer on Fulton’s integration and automation team, he is also the first to be hired into a full-time role as a result of one of the Institute’s partnerships.

“I’m incredibly grateful because I think it shows the power of the F&M alumni community and the kinds of doors those relationships can open,” says Ibrahim. “Amanda trusted my abilities early on, and I think part of that came from knowing the quality of an F&M education and the type of students F&M produces. She gave me opportunities to take on challenges, contribute ideas, and grow far beyond what I initially expected from an internship.”

Moemen Ibrahim ’26 became the first F&M student to participate in the Fulton Innovation Institute after connecting with Amanda Burton ’02. (Photo by Deb Grove)

Curiosity and Flexibility

The path from F&M to Fulton reflects the value of the liberal arts education Ibrahim sought when he arrived at the College.

“I wanted to be exposed to different subjects, learn how to think critically, and build close relationships with professors,” he said. His professors became mentors, and he spent a year conducting research alongside two computer science professors, including Ed Novak, department chair of computer science.

“Moemen did very well academically, and has a good deal of charisma,” Novak says. “Importantly, he did not limit his view of his own career opportunities narrowly to ‘software engineering’ or a ‘big tech’ firm.”

That preparation has helped him approach his work at Fulton with curiosity and flexibility. F&M taught him not to be afraid to ask questions or step outside his comfort zone, he said, while exposure to multiple disciplines helped him think beyond the technology itself.

“I wasn’t looking at problems only through a technology lens,” Ibrahim said. “That helped me understand not just how to build something, but why we’re building it, what business problem we’re solving, and how it will actually affect the people using it.”

Ibrahim’s work at the Fulton Innovation Institute varied from exploring emerging technologies to helping solve business problems. He built AI chatbots, experimented with AI models, and worked with business partners to consider potential applications. He also worked alongside Burton to explore university partnerships and help turn ideas into practical projects.

“I was able to get exposure not only to a lot of different technologies, but also to people across many parts of the bank,” Ibrahim said.

Today, Ibrahim focuses on connecting systems, moving data between them and automating manual processes. He recently built his first integration.

Partners in Innovation

Burton’s own career also reflects innovation and adaptability. After graduating from F&M with a major in psychology in 2002, she spent more than 11 years in behavioral health before transitioning into information technology. She eventually joined Fulton as a senior IT project manager in 2018 and later moved into operations and strategic initiatives. About four years ago, she joined Fulton’s newly formed Innovation team and created the Innovation Institute.

The Institute now focuses on fostering innovation, developing future talent and building partnerships between Fulton and academic institutions. Burton said the program nearly doubled its academic partners and the number of projects during the past year.

Burton believes the partnership between Fulton and F&M demonstrates what can happen when a college and an employer create opportunities for students to apply their education to real challenges.

“The partnership between F&M and Fulton creates tremendous value for everyone involved,” Burton says. “Students gain meaningful real-world experience, apply what they’re learning in the classroom to actual business challenges, and build skills that will help them succeed after graduation. At the same time, Fulton benefits from the fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and creative solutions that students bring to the table.”

For Ibrahim, the connection also illustrates the power of the F&M community.

“Working alongside someone who is so passionate about innovation and about giving college students meaningful, hands-on experience was especially important to me,” he says. “As a student, I was always looking for opportunities to apply what I was learning outside the classroom. So being able to eventually help other students from F&M and other universities get those same kinds of opportunities was something I really enjoyed.”