Spring 2018 Co-Op Interns Update

Spring 2018 Co-op Interns Update

Zerina Adrovic
Senior, Marketing Major
Marketing Intern, TLC Marketing Consultants

This is a picture of me at my desk at my marketing internship with TLC Marketing Consultants. There I am working on a social media content page for one of our potential clients to present to them our marketing plan for their company. My internship has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge on digital marketing and get personal hands on experience outside of the classrooms and into the real world. 

Drew Doescher
Junior, Business Finance Major
Teller, Pinnacle Bank

Working in the banking industry has allowed me to gain real world experience as I continue working towards completing my BSBA degree. Today I learned how to explain some of the benefits of our new accounts we are offering to our customers.

Ben Greunke
Senior, Accounting Major
Financial Institutions Group Intern, CliftonLarsonAllen

     For my blog post entry, I would like to take the time to outline the most valuable thing I have learned from internship so far. First a little background, I am currently interning at CliftonLarsonAllen, or CLA for short as, which is fairly large accounting firm with locations all over the United States. I am currently working in the St. Louis office as a part of the financial institutions group. This group works to preform internal and external audit work for various banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies across the Midwest region. I would have to say it is kind of hard to pinpoint what’s the most valuable thing I’ve learned while working at CLA, because I’ve learned something new every day.

      However, I guess if I had to pick the most valuable thing I’ve learned while working at CLA, it would have to be to always prioritize your time. Since beginning tax season, I’ve learned just how hectic and busy this time can be, and that your work can pile up very fast with people asking you to different things at any given point during the day. Thus, to accomplish all the work that is being piled up on you, it is important to prioritize the things that need to get done first, and then so forth. Without having the strength of prioritizing your time, it would be hard to get much accomplished on a daily basis. Lessons like this are definitely why I’m very thankful for my time at CliftonLarsonAllen, from all the little things they’ve taught me about accounting outside of the classroom.

Aaron Horvat
Senior, Marketing Major
Marketing Intern, Malfer & Associates

This is a picture of me on site at the Malfer and Associates Studio in Leawood, Kansas. I work at both the Leawood and Prairie Village location, assisting in marketing as well as helping out agents in the field with different tasks. This job has showed me a lot in terms of knowledge in both marketing and residential real estate. Working at both offices has allowed me to be able to understand what it takes to succeed in both fields and motivates me to be successful.

Mary Hummel
Junior, Accounting Major
Student Intern, Summers, Spencer & Company, P.A.

My name is Mary Kate Hummel and this past fall semester, I was offered the opportunity to intern at a CPA firm during the spring semester. The firm has several offices throughout the Kansas area and I interned for the Shawnee office. I accepted the internship because I wanted to gain exposure to the tax side of the accounting career field. As a junior, I am delving into my upper level accounting courses and I am scheduled to take both tax and audit courses senior year. With these classes upon me, I thought it would be an excellent idea to intern at a public accounting firm during the swing of tax season to gain experience about what CPAs and tax preparers do. My position as an intern lasted from the start to the end of the tax season, so predominantly all of my work pertained to organizing and scanning tax documents for the preparers to use to file returns. Prior to this internship, I knew very little about taxes. Therefore, I didn’t have any particular expectations about it. However, after completing this internship, I am satisfied to say that I have learned so much about the tax side!

To students who are working to obtain an internship I would stress that persistence is key. Get your resume out to as many potential employers and recruiters as you can. Make sure to always follow up with recruiters and employers. If you apply for a position, follow up with the recruiter within a few days if you haven’t heard back yet. Be persistent and make yourself, your abilities and your interest in the position and/or company known to employers. Apply for any and every position that interests you. Don’t be turned off by a job description on an application that seems competitive and intimidating. Put yourself out there and employers will identify if your resume and/or credentials are a good match. Don’t be discouraged if you’re being passed up for internship positions. Different companies are looking for different things in their candidate search, such as proficiency in certain programs, particular previous work experience, or certain GPA requirements. Understand that you are not going to be a perfect match for every position. 

Kevin Morris
Sophomore, English Major
College Participant Intern, The Walt Disney Company

Here at the Disney College Program, a professional internship at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, making magic for others is all part of my role. Through the program, I have developed countless interpersonal skills that are bound to aid me in any career I pursue, as well as serving up some delicious funnel cakes that always ignite the magic for our guests.

Adam Pundmann 
Junior, Accounting Major
Tax Intern, Ong & Company CPA's

My job at Ong and Company CPA’s is unique because the accountants have a personal relationship with all of their clients. My supervisor creates a relaxed, yet efficient work environment, allowing both the clients and the employees to remain satisfied. Being exposed to tax accounting in the workplace has given me insight on the career path I want to follow after my time at Rockhurst.

Deyanara Solis-Najera
Junior, Business Management & Spanish Majors
Immigration Services Analyst, U. S. Department of Homeland Security

With the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I am able to see the impact every small task has on people and the country. I am inspired every day to continue furthering my education to be able to expand my critical thinking, communication, and team building skills and apply my knowledge to making an impact in people’s lives.  

Oskar Unger
Senior, Financial Markets & Economic Analysis
Research Intern, The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce/World Trade Center KC

My internship gives me fantastic opportunities to attend events, network, and have fun. Here I am with my World Trade Center colleagues at IRC’s Trivia Night where we finished 2^nd. 

Kristen Weber
Junior, Accounting Major
Student Intern,  Summers, Spencer & Company, P.A.

For my internship, I work for SS&C Solutions, Inc.  This is an accounting internship.  Specifically, I work within the tax aspect of accounting.  A typical day at SS&C involves me organizing clients tax documents, scanning the documents, and uploading them for the tax preparers.  I have to go through all the files and determine what is necessary for a tax return and what is not.  This has taught me a lot about accounting and tax.  I have not really been exposed to tax yet, so this has been informative about what the tax side of accounting involves. 

For any student who is looking for an accounting internship, I suggest going to Meet the Firms.  That is an excellent way to get connected and meet firms who are offering internships.  Making those connections is important when looking for internships/jobs.  Additionally, if you are looking for an internship, I suggest going to the Career Center to make your resume and do a mock interview.  I had not had a lot of interview experience, so I needed a lot of practice.  Also, I did not have an up-to-date resume, so the Career Center helped me quickly build one. 

I have learned a lot from this internship.  However, the most valuable thing I learned was whether or not this is the career path for me.  I have learned a lot about accounting in the real world, and I really like it.  It is interesting to see all the documents, and how they are used.  I have learned that I have selected the right major for me.  Overall, this internship has really given me a lot of new experiences.  I am very grateful for this opportunity.  It has taught me a lot about my major.  Additionally, there has been a lot of information that I have learned in class that I am able to apply to the work I do at SS&C Solutions, Inc.  I am grateful for this internship and all that it has taught me about accounting.