By Megan Z. Shearin ’06
A summer internship with Goodman & Company, LLP, taught Katie Bingman ’10 that accounting is more than just crunching numbers at a desk.
In fact, accounting requires a great deal of verbal communication and learning to communicate clearly and effectively with clients, said Bingman.
Majoring in business with an emphasis in accounting, Bingman participated in a six-week paid summer internship as a recipient of a competitive scholarship from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC). As a scholarship recipient, she also received $2,500 toward tuition for her junior and senior years.
Her internship duties were impressive and included auditing 10 public schools in the Hampton Roads area from elementary to the high school level.
“I examined receipts, distributions, grants and everything the schools did [financially] throughout the 2008-09 school year,” said Bingman. “It was exciting to get out in the field and get a feel for what each school is like.”
At Virginia Wesleyan, you’re strategically located in the midst of a thriving metropolitan area. Participate in internships with Fortune 500 companies, state and national governmental agencies and art galleries.Inside the office, Bingman spent most of her time learning professional tax, accounting and tax law research software. Learning the software is crucial, she said, because the actual accounting work is based on one’s knowledge of the software.
Bingman was the youngest intern with the company and took advantage of her internship experience, learning various career paths within the industry. Her most challenging task was working on a 401 K, she said.
“I have done very little tax work on a 401 K and the software threw me for a loop,” she admitted.
Growing up in Newport News, Va., Bingman said it was in high school that she knew she wanted to pursue a career in accounting. Her experience at Virginia Wesleyan College only re-affirmed her professional goals.
“The small classes and campus attracted me to Virginia Wesleyan. I felt this college was more personal than other colleges and universities.”“My favorite course so far has been Principles of Management,” said Bingman, who described the class as “hands-on and involving realistic experiences of management through group projects.”
As for her future plans, Bingman has been offered and has accepted a spring internship with Goodman & Company, LLP. Her duties will include working on personal and business taxes during tax season.
08.19.09