The 2013 AISP session ended on Thursday, July 25, with an afternoon of fun networking at Arlington Park. Representatives from the five participating firms were able to talk with the interns in a relaxed setting about life after the internship. Many were also introduced to some of the intricacies of horse racing.

After receiving a certificate of completion, each intern was asked to say a few words about their experience this summer. Each one expressed their sincere gratitude to everyone involved

After watching a few races and trying to figure out how best to make a $2 bet, everyone gathered for a few closing words from Allen Bolnick, member, Weltman Bernfield, and from each of the interns. The overall sentiment from each of the interns was a big “Thank You!” to everyone involved. They were grateful for everything they learned, as well as for the time commitment everyone made.

Here are some excerpts from “Thank You” notes received from a few of the interns…

“I have never seen or heard of any internship that even compares to the AISP! I learned more in 8 weeks than I feel I would have in an entire semester at school. I was amazed by all the time and effort the staff willingly put in. Everyone was willing to help and answer our questions. Thank you so much for this wonderful experience!” – Samiyah Siddiqui

“I wanted to once again thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Accounting Intern Scholarship Program. I learned more than I ever could have imagined by participating in this program. [The] personal interest in both the success of the internship and each of the interns made my experience that much more enjoyable. I hope that this program will last for many years to come because it truly is a one of a kind experience.” – John Bagnuolo

During their time at AISP, the interns have had educational sessions, practice sessions, job shadowing opportunities, and visits to some of the clients of the participating firms. They’ve also done some hands-on work for the clients under the supervision of firm accountants.

The interns spent a lot of time with different accountants at each of the five firms in order to see what an average day is like.

Larry Elisco, CPA, member, Weltman Bernfield, presents a seminar on Fraud and Embezzlement in Business.

The interns have completed over half of the Accounting Intern Scholarship Program. Here are some of their thoughts on what they’ve experienced so far:

“I really like this internship program because it gives me the opportunity to learn about different fields of accounting in theory as well as in practice. All of the participating firms are extremely nice and helpful. Their staff accountants and partners make my shadowing experience very interesting and beneficial at the same time.  I also learn a lot every day about many types of accounting software used by contemporary accountants as well as alternative cloud services.  I would certainly recommend this program to all students who want to get a feel of what the real accounting world is.”

–Julia Svechnikova

“I have been enjoying AISP so far. My favorite part has been the shadowing at the clients and firms. The training has also been very well done to bridge the gap between what is taught in school and how it actually looks and works when applied with real clients. The large QuickBooks and Engagement practice problem sets were also a good way to incorporate many things we had learned in the training sessions that we had.”

–Joshua Vishoot

“The internship program has been a vastly positive experience thus far.  I am able to apply what I’ve learned in school as well as what I’ve learned in the training sessions to the real world.”

–Kyle Miller

The 2013 AISP started today (June 4, 2013) with an orientation session at Ravinia Green Country Club. After receiving a general overview of the curriculum for the eight-week program, the interns took part in “speed meeting” where they moved from table to table to talk with staff members and partners from the participating firms. This format allowed the interns to learn about the firms–and for the firms to learn about the interns–in a more intimate setting.

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We’re less than a week away from the start of our 2013 Accounting Intern Scholarship Program (AISP). Ten interns were selected from the 60 completed applications we received.  Four women and six men comprise the final group. Schools represented are UIC-Chicago (3), University of Ilinois (1),  University of Iowa (1), Augustana College (2), Eastern Illinois (1), Illinois State (1) and University of Colorado (1).  Learn more about AISP.