I am from McHenry, Illinois, which is about an hour north of Chicago. In my free time, I love to read, listen to music, play video games, and watch movies. I am currently reading The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which will be what I am reading on the plane in just a few days. I also love to travel and go on hikes. One of my personal goals is to visit every national park in the United States someday. So far, I have only been to two, The Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon, but I frequently hike at a state park near my home. As for international traveling, this will be my third time out of the country. I have previously visited Spain and South Korea. However, this will be my first time in Germany, which I am extremely excited about.

On campus, I am involved in the Horror and Spectral Club, where I have had the amazing opportunity to serve as the business manager. In this role, I primarily help manage funds and track attendance, which has strengthened both my organizational and leadership skills. Additionally, this past spring, I volunteered with VITA, a program that helps low-income individuals with their taxes. This was a truly amazing opportunity that helped me  realize my passion for accounting , while also allowing me to grow in the field. During my freshman year, I also decided to take a German language class, which I instantly loved. Because of my passion for the language and culture, I decided to pursue a minor in German. Since I am still early in my language learning journey, I knew choosing Germany would be the perfect wat to strengthen my skills.

Throughout the first part of college, during breaks and holidays, I worked as a personal shopper at Walmart. This experience helped me develop strong customer service and  organizational skills. Last Summer, I interned at Progressive Components as an account payable and accounts receivable intern. I loved this experience because it gave me a clearer vision of where I wanted my career to go and solidified my decision to pursue accounting. Next winter, I will be working at CLA as a tax and audit intern. This will help me better understand two major sectors of accounting as I continue shaping my future career path.

With all these opportunities, I felt this was the perfect summer to go abroad through the international internship program in Berlin. This is the ideal time for me to study abroad while gaining experience in my career field in an international setting. I will be working at Catalyst – Institute of Creative Arts and Technology, an international institution based in Berlin that offers project-based learning and technical approaches to a variety of creative industries, including music, sound technology, and film. Through this internship. I am excited to focus more on the finance side rather than strict accounting, which makes this experience unique compared to my previous internships. I will also be learning Notion and helping with the payroll systems.

I believe this is a wonderful opportunity personally, academically, and professionally. Personally, I will have the chance to connect with an international team, learn from their experiences, and grow by stepping outside of my comfort zone. As someone who can be shy, this experience will challenge me to become more confident in unfamiliar environments, make new friends, and try new things, Academically, my minor in German gives me a chance to practice my language skills every day. Immersing myself in the language and culture will be one of the best ways to improve. Professionally, this internship will allow me to gain international finance and accounting experience while expanding my perspective on global business practices.

I am extremely excited to go to Berlin in just a week, and I cannot wait to begin this once in a lifetime opportunity.