My 2023 STEP Signature Project was interning at Ernst & Young here in Columbus Ohio. I specialized under the audit service line and worked on public clients during the end of the second financial quarter going onto the third. I worked on a team of 6 other individuals on my engagement and put in 40 hours a week working with team.

One of the biggest things that changed my understanding of myself was how I operate living on my own. During my school year, I am typically an avid user of a dining plan and school resources that are usually in session during the school year. Since this was during the Summer and I lived in my apartment mostly alone, a lot of the resources that I typically use were not available. This led to me learning how to cook, how to open memberships for spaces like gyms and other luxuries, and paying for daily activities on my own. One of the biggest skills that I am the proudest of was learning how to cook. As someone who is a very picky eater, I was very used to eating take out or something quick I could get on campus. Because the dining areas on campus were not open, I had to figure out a way to get the most nutrients without eating takeout every day. I learned to cook instead! I went grocery shopping every week and would make chicken, potatoes, and other useful recipes that I am now trying to build off of. This was a very big useful life skill I developed during my time of my internship. I also was able to build a love of the city of Columbus. I feel in love with the city, and I loved it so much that I feel like I am ready to call it my home.

I also had a change of skills that I developed while interning at EY. By working in a professional setting, many different habits began to develop, and I started to fit in more with the company culture. For example, the dress code was business casual. I began to get an idea of what type of clothing truly fell in the category and had a better idea of what to wear after the first week. Another skill I began to develop was confidence while speaking. When being in a professional setting, I was becoming more accustomed to working in teams and expanding my vocabulary. By working with peers, I began to feel more comfortable having professional discussions and was able to communicate much better to seniors and partners without being as nervous.

A strong relationship I built this summer was with one of the seniors I worked with on my team, Ben. Ben was extremely knowledgeable on the different sectors of audit and what it truly is like to work in a Big 4 firm. I learned so much about how to use our audit software, different accounting terms, and what a typical quarter end looks like under his guidance. Ben was able to show me on my first few days what a general rundown of our software is like for where we upload documents that are crucial in the audit process. These documents could be like 10Ks, Meeting Minutes, or data summaries for the client. I learned so many different types of accounting definitions from Ben as well. Going into my internship, I did not know much about audit beforehand as that is a 4th year class, however Ben was able to give me a head start on what to expect in that course. The other interns I worked with were so awesome! There were 8 Assurance/Audit interns total who I worked with the most. The team was so incredible, and I truly have learned so much from them.

One activity I was able to take part in at EY was going to the client site. Since the two teams that I worked one were not during busy season, going to client sites was a very rare occurrence for anybody, however exceptions were made so we were able to go. By going to the client site, I had the ability to interact with other professionals that worked for our clients. These professionals were very interested in our overall experience with EY and were supporting us in every way possible. By having client interaction, I was able to really get a grip into real world discussions and see more of a client/contract relationship. Not only was I standing on the sidelines, but I was also able to work one on one with the clients on the several days I was at the client site during the course of my internship.

From working at EY, we were able to expand on our knowledge on the city of Columbus. Several team events took place around the city, and we were able to go explore more of our new “hometown”. Some activities that we did to learn more about the city was a “Taste of Columbus” tour where we were able to try several dishes from multiple restaurants around the short north with our other EY peers. This included many seniors, staff, and interns. This was also a way to encourage more interaction among the team members and create more of a bond between all of us. Through this, I also got to know more about the city. I began to learn so much more about Columbus and I am so excited to say that I am now planning on living here after graduation!

Each of the changes and new experiences have helped shape my thoughts for the future. The big points were gaining more confidence and a larger vocabulary, understanding more of a client/contract relationship, and also becoming more accumulated around Columbus. Each of these experiences have helped shape my thought on how I want to present myself in the future and also where I see myself in the next few years. From the gain of confidence and vocabulary, I am now able to sue those life skills to help network myself to other recruiters and other professionals who may be looking for associates or to build a new client base. I will also have a better idea as to how those relationship dynamics work by being present in those types of discussions at the client sites. So many of the different experiences we took part in around the city has also helped grow my love for Columbus and has made me want to stay here. I am so lucky to say that I have had such a positive experience with EY that I was lucky enough to receive an offer here in Columbus with them to start as an association in the Fall of 2024! I could not have done it without the help of STEP and my internship.