Wide-eyed and in awe, what stood before me was the start of a new beginning. The first internship is always the most intimidating of all beginnings. You’re walking into a new workspace, not knowing anyone besides yourself, and you have to learn how to get into the flow of how everything runs in the office. Luckily at Stephano, it was not much of an issue to become accustomed to.
With such a collaborative and welcoming working environment, it was easy to find a home within the office and to never feel like an outsider (despite how long others have been working there). I always felt like there was only so much a college student can learn at school. From textbooks to homework assignments, people can read as much as they possibly can, but still understand very little. Being able to actively participate in tax returns, projects, and proformas, I was able to reach a whole new level of thinking that school does not provide.
Stephano Slack gave me a lot of insight in what to expect from a good internship. I was able to gain the necessary tools needed to be a good intern, but I also felt the office was able to expand my view on the world for the better. Discussions with Stan Wieglus, Jenn Crawford, and Kayleen Kane, I learned an invaluable piece of information:
Everyone makes mistakes, but you can always work through it.
Being able to struggle on one’s own and to work through the issues towards a solution is what retains the best within people. In other words, you’ll never make that same mistake again. No one is better than the other, especially in a field like accounting where there is so much information to know, or as Ryan says, it’s “a humbling profession”. People depend on each other for help and to perform more efficiently. Without that comradery Stephano Slack would not be the firm it is today.
From here, there is only room to grow.
-Elaine
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