Build-A-Bear Rap Songs, Makeshift Windshield Wipers, and Misconceptions of Pencil Pushers

Written by Ashley Schmitt
Tax Intern
Elkhart, IN

I have always been a forward thinking person. I tend to look into the future and imagine where I’d like to be; I make goals for myself, and strive to reach each milestone. At the beginning of my freshman year of high school I decided it was time to start thinking about a career choice. I thought about all of the subjects and classes that I was taking but nothing seemed to click with me. It wasn’t until my junior year when I took my first accounting class that I made my decision. A great career with good opportunities and tasks I enjoyed, I was excited to place a new goal on my list. When I started at Indiana University South Bend, I enrolled as a business major and began my journey towards becoming an accountant.

I was, however, apprehensive for one reason. Accountants are not known to be the most exciting people. While accounting is generally looked upon as a great career choice, people’s perception of accountants is often that they are boring pencil pushers who live in a cubicle. Because of this, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of the other interns and accountants I’d be working with when I accepted a winter internship at McGladrey’s Elkhart, Indiana. Of course I was excited about the opportunity to learn and gain experience from an amazing firm with a great reputation- but was I going to enjoy this job?



Interns at the Elkhart office: Brady,
Roger, Ashley, Kathy, Garrett, Mike



With just one day of orientation under my belt, I ventured to the Q Center in St. Charles, IL with 5 fellow interns for new hire training. I had no other expectations other than to leave with a little more knowledge than what I came with, while being surrounded by instructors less than thrilled to be training the new hires.

After being divided into rooms and then again into individual pods, I met three other interns that I would be working with over the course of the next 4 days. I expected my peers to be competitive, as most people are inherently. Instead, I was placed in a funny and helpful group and made the training enjoyable. Our group worked together and helped each other learn the processes and software. I learned a lot from them over the course of the week, and the instructors were always enthusiastic about answering any questions we had. I left the training feeling more prepared and excited than when I started.

During the charity event that took place during our week at the Q Center, I competed with my team of other McGladrey interns to clothe Build-A-Bears for a children’s hospital. I never guessed I would have been watching a team of fellow interns sing a rap song about their bears. At this, and many moments during my week at the Q Center, I realized that choosing a McGladrey internship was the perfect decision. My expectations were far exceeded. I expected professional and knowledgeable coworkers, and the team of people that I will work with during the next few months have already shown themselves to be much more than that.

Throughout the course of the week the Elkhart group of interns bonded over inside jokes, lunchtime debates, and evening conversations. We found “that guy,” were ‘assigned’ Forbes reading material, and gave the nickname “Mr. Wall Street.”  Being snowed in on our drive home and rigging a sock and hair-tie to replace a broken windshield wiper was just another adventure that we encountered. A dynamic group of many personalities, we had a great time and have continued to do so during our in-office training. I could not be more happy and excited to spend the tax season with such an amazing group of people.



At the Q Center