Everyday people: Ramthun enjoys her part-time position with White Rock Bank

GOODHUE — To take on the job that Lara Ramthun does, education is endless.

As a part-time employee at White Rock Bank in Goodhue, the bank teller takes part in online classes every quarter that help her brush up on the laws, rules and regulations that apply most directly to her work. And that’s not all.

Ever-changing technology requires frequent learning as well. In fact, the skills Ramthun picked up years ago at Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical don’t exactly provide much assistance anymore.

“All of the stuff I learned in school is like non-existent now,” she explained. “We did very little on computers back then.”

Ramthun went to school for administrative assisting and she worked at White Rock from 1991-93 as a secretary when she was first married. Now on her second stint with the company, Ramthun has spent the last seven-and-a-half years as a teller.

With a large assortment of tasks filling her schedule, there’s no quick way to explain all that gets done on any given day.

“How do I just boil my job down to one sentence?” she asked, laughing at the thought.

Processing deposits, withdrawals and money orders are just a few of the things that are done on a regular basis. White Rock Bank has a handful of branches throughout Goodhue County, so Ramthun occasionally commutes to Red Wing to lend a hand.

“When they need backup, they usually call me,” she said.

Despite having a population of nearly 15 times the people that Goodhue has, Red Wing still allows for Ramthun to see some familiar faces while she’s working.

Keeping busy

Her job at White Rock Bank occupies about 25-30 hours of her time each week, but that’s not to say she doesn’t stay busy outside of work as well.

With two teenage girls and two mini wiener dogs, simply managing her household is a second job in itself. And since her husband’s career keeps him away from Goodhue for two-thirds of every month, working any more hours at the bank would make life a bigger balancing act.

“I always tell my husband, unless you’re going to get a different job and be home all the time, I’m not working full time. And he agrees with that,” Ramthun explained.

When her schedule allows for an opportunity to relax, Ramthun said she likes to be around her family, whether spending time at home or enjoying nice weather out on a boat. She also remains active at her Lake City church, New Hope Baptist, by leading a women’s group and sitting on the church council.

Just as education is ever-present at her part-time job, it also plays a role in her personal life. In hopes of one day turning a dream into reality, Ramthun plans to enroll in courses that will allow her to become a certified pet groomer.

“I’ve always wanted to do something with animals,” she said.

As she slowly works toward certification, Ramthun is more than happy spending her time at White Rock Bank.

“I never saw myself doing this but I love the work,” she said. “There’s never a day that’s the same.”

Tags: progress