My academic and professional career have turned out much better than I could have imagined (so far).
In 2018, I was getting ready to graduate high school and looking at a wide variety of universities. My top choice at the time, and the one of five schools I was not granted admission to, was the University of Pittsburgh. I thought it was the end of the world, as everything is when you are 18. It was shortly after this that I received a brochure in the mail from Point Park University. Point Park stood out to me and after I toured campus, I could not picture myself anywhere else. The biggest appeal to me was the small, community-like feel that Point Park provided while also offering valuable professional opportunities. I never had a class larger than 15 students, and this allowed me to build important relationships with professors as well as my peers. Fast forward to 2021- I have graduated with a B.S. in accounting in three years. The full course loads, summer courses, and waiting tables part-time was well worth it.
I completed one internship prior to starting at Schneider Downs, and it was an on-site tax internship. While I did have remote classes since COVID-19 started, I have never worked full time from home. I was extremely nervous in the beginning, sitting in front of a screen with all these people I have never met. That feeling quickly faded as everyone I have met so far has been genuinely helpful and kind. The onboarding process went so smoothly, and the buddy system that has been implemented is extremely useful. It is very clear that Schneider Downs values community and inclusiveness between its employees. The efforts the company has made to make the virtual environment feel like being at the office is something I have never experienced before. All of this is one of the reasons Schneider Downs stood out to me. The company gives off a tight-knit community feel that competing firms cannot match, while also providing extremely rewarding opportunities.
The work that I have done up until this point has been so beneficial. From performing assessments on my own to drafting formal reports and communicating with clients, this has been an opportunity I would not want to experience anywhere else.
