McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 3

Another Capstone Conference has come and gone, another 2/12 days of learning, networking, sharing and fun. Christina Rossetti, an intern from our Stamford, CT office and a student at Boston College, shares with us her experience of Day 3 of the conference (from 30,000 feet!):

Sitting in seat 5B and soaring 30,000 feet above Illinois, I can truly begin to reminisce about my final day in St. Charles. Sitting here on my flight surrounded by the interns from McGladrey’s Connecticut and New York offices, it is hard to believe that the Capstone Conference has come and gone so quickly. Today started with another great breakfast in the Q Tower, where waffles, fresh fruit, and scrambled eggs got me energized for the day ahead. As I made my way to the St. Charles Amphitheatre with the rest of my Connecticut crew, I passed eager groups waiting to perform their skits. My own nerves were beginning to ignite as I took my seat in the large room, remembering that I too would be presenting later that morning. Wow, six more hilarious and creative presentations. Before my nerves could get to me again, I saw Ken Bansemer walk down to stage.

I remembered Ken from his shenanigans at the Blackjack table the night before and wondered what to expect from his speech, which was titled, “Success is Easy… It’s Failing That’s Hard.” Now, failure is a concept I usually prefer not to think about, but Ken explained the importance of both failing and embracing change in life. Ken lightened the mood when he shared videos of his piano recitals, where he struggled with some of his songs (an experience I can certainly relate to when I think back to my own piano recitals). We spent time talking about goal setting, and Ken had us write one goal on a sheet of paper and put it into a self-addressed envelope. He explained that he would mail us this letter about a year from now, just as a reminder that we should never give up on our dreams. My personal goal is to run the Boston Marathon, and I feel much more ready to accomplish this now that I know I must share, plan, commit, act, and learn in order to succeed.

Already feeling motivated, our next activity magnified the feeling of inspiration. We paired up and began putting together blankets for the Salvation Army by trimming and tying together fleece fabrics. I was glad that McGladrey gave the interns at the conference an opportunity to give back to the community, because helping others definitely seems to be one of McGladrey’s values. This activity soon wrapped up and before I knew it I was in front of the entire conference ready to act out the skit that my group and I had been practicing. Thankfully, with a crowd of smiling faces in front of me, the skit went by smoothly and I calmly sat back and watched the last six teams present, including the McGladrey Mythbusters and a great Steve Erwin impersonator.

After our last lunch at the Q Center, we heard from our final speaker, Rory Vaden, who shared some great stories that really got me thinking about how I can be successful later in life. Rory explained that success is about doing the things other people do not want to do. Metaphorically, we must remember to take the stairs when everyone around us takes the escalator. The main thing I realized after listening to both speakers today was the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone and taking some risks. After Rory’s inspiring words, we concluded the conference with awards for the best presentations and a raffle… Man, I really wanted that I-Pod Touch. We also watched video footage from the entire conference, where we could all relive our experiences working in our teams, listening to speakers, and gambling at Casino night.

As the plane begins its descent into LaGuardia, I realize it is time for me to say goodbye to my new friends sitting around me. I know I’ll see my Stamford gang next week, but what about the rest of the interns I met at Capstone? What will we all bring with us as we return to our internships? I know that I am leaving with a much greater understanding of myself. Not only do I know my Kolbe score is a 7-7-3-3, I also feel ready to make short- and long-term goals for my future. More importantly, I have learned the importance of working as a team and embracing each other’s differences. The Capstone Conference was a great way to kickoff my internship and future career in public accounting…thank you McGladrey!


Thanks again Christina, and thanks again as well to Ryan Donaghy and Morgane Dion for sharing their Capstone experiences as well. You can view pictures from Day 3 below, and we'll have more to come in future posts. Capstone is one of the true highlights of the summer intern experience at McGladrey. If you are a student and are interested experiencing a future Capstone Conference yourself, be sure to see us on campus this Fall to explore Summer Internship opportunities with us.

McGladrey 2010 Summer Intern Capstone Conference- Day 3