Samantha Bertolino
Accounting – Edinboro University
The day I found out that I got the internship was such a great day because I felt that I was given the chance to prove what I have learned in my four years at college.
I was very nervous about my internship because I had no clue what to expect. When I heard that as an intern at GYF I would be treated like entry-level staff, I was both excited and anxious about the responsibilities I would have. It has been challenging, but this internship helped me gain a lot of confidence in myself and my ability to work in the field of accounting.
I realized that college just gave me the basics of accounting, and the rest you learn from working in the field. I have learned so much during such a short time as an intern!
I thought I had some knowledge from the accounting program at Edinboro, but I learned more about taxes in these three months than all through college. During my internship I was involved in many projects and returns. I was able to learn about many different areas of tax through these assignments.
I was very surprised by the environment at GYF – I have never felt so welcomed before. Public Accounting has a stigma about it, but I was surrounded by such different and unique individuals at GYF, I do not think that holds true. My favorite part of my internship was the work culture at GYF. Everyone at the firm is friendly and willing to help. I would describe GYF to my classmates as an amazing place to work with a friendly and professional environment.
I feel the internship is extremely important in helping me to develop my accounting career. My next steps are to finish my degree program and begin to study for my CPA exam. Getting a taste of the “real-world” of accounting through my internship experience has helped motivate me to achieve these goals.
I would tell future interns not to get discouraged by how much new information there is to learn or the amount of work you are given, the people at GYF will help you learn and handle the tasks, and it will be worth it in the end! I loved my internship experience and am very thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow with GYF.
