Eighteen Jackson State University College of Business (COB) students interned at Deloitte, an industry-leading accounting firm, over the summer, where they gained real-life experience.
“It’s important for our students to experience what their future careers are like before they graduate,” said Fidelis Ikem, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business. “Internships can affirm their decision to study a particular discipline.”
The interns began their summer apprenticeship by attending a conference at Deloitte University in Texas. There they received an introduction to the company and networked with hundreds of students from around the country.
Accounting major Caleb Crutcher said he decided to gain intern experience early in his college career. The JSU sophomore encourages peers to take advantage of the beneficial opportunity.
“I didn’t know you could have an internship as a freshman, so it’s great to take advantage of it. A lot of people think you have to wait until after you graduate, but you can start your freshman year,” explained Crutcher, a native of Alabama. “The earlier, the better because now I have three more years to see what I want to do, and now when I graduate, I can decide what works best for me.”
Crutcher, a cross-country runner at JSU, completed his internship in Nashville and is excited to return for a second year next summer. He said interning at Deloitte has given him more confidence in his decision to study business.
As a freshman intern, the athlete was placed in a Discovery One program where he participated in case studies with other students from across the country. Crutcher credits the COB faculty and staff for pushing him to begin interning early and will be traveling to San Jose, California, for his second internship in the summer of 2023.
Rayvan Green, a junior accounting and finance major, interned at Deloitte’s Houston branch. Initially, Green had other plans for the summer, but Jennifer Steele, special projects coordinator for the COB, recommended the internship.
“It opened my eyes to something bigger; the different things I could do with my degree and all the different people I met,” said Green.
A Mobile, Alabama, native, Green participated in the Discovery Two program, allowing her to work alongside experienced accounting professionals.
“I was able to gain more understanding about the company, to do case studies and learned acquisitions on how Deloitte can help other companies in areas like their reputation and employment,” she explained.
Green said she is grateful for the opportunity she received from Deloitte and was offered two additional internships with the company. She eagerly explained how she was excited about her next internship.
“My next internship, I will be considered a traditional intern, so I will be able to work with a client in the private wealth sector of the company,” she shared.
Green said she plans to earn a master’s degree in professional accounting and work as a full-time employee at Deloitte.
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Media contact: Anthony.j.howard@jsums.edu