Allie Smith, a junior accounting major at Lakeland University from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is gaining practical experience through the university’s Cooperative Education program. This semester, Smith is working as an accounting intern at Curt G. Joa, Inc., marking her fourth hands-on learning opportunity since starting at Lakeland.
By the end of the current semester, Smith will have earned 12 academic credits from a range of work experiences through the Cooperative Education program. She believes these experiences have helped her explore different career paths and develop skills needed for her future.
“This isn’t just a job, it’s so much more,” Smith said. “I’m getting hands-on experience, and I can put this experience together to choose a field. I can take the hypothetical and put it into the real world.”
At Curt G. Joa, Smith’s responsibilities include completing month-end reports, preparing revenue recognition meeting workbooks, handling orders and invoices, and learning various industry software programs. She said, “I take the burden off some of my coworkers and, with what I’m do as an intern, I feel like I’m making a difference. I appreciate the faith they’re putting in me. I recently got assigned a new project and I’m the only one doing it.”
Smith chose Lakeland University after touring several schools, citing its proximity to home and family as important factors. She was encouraged to pursue accounting by her father and is now completing a forensic/fraud emphasis as part of her degree. She plans to earn Certified Public Accountant credentials, and her work experiences will help her meet the 150-credit requirement to sit for the CPA exam.
Smith is also a member of Lakeland’s Accounting Club and took part in the 10th Annual Internship Draft Day at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, where she joined over 250 students in interviews and networking with professionals.
“The numbers (in accounting) will always make sense, eventually,” Smith said. “You must have determination to make things make sense, to have that ‘ah ha’ moment.”
