Welcome back to Stephanie Bodmer, a recent Oakland University graduate with a BS in Accounting! After interning at ShindelRock last summer, where she prepared 1040 tax returns and gained experience with QuickBooks and UltraTax, Stephanie is excited to further develop her skills and explore various aspects of accounting as she begins her journey toward CPA certification.
Q: What previous experience do you have in accounting?
A: I was an intern here at ShindelRock last summer (2024). I worked on preparing 1040 tax returns, updating clients QuickBooks, and creating instructions for new staff on how to prepare 1040s in UltraTax following ShindelRock's procedures.
Q: How did you choose ShindelRock, and what characteristics of a good place to intern did you see in ShindelRock?
A: I liked that ShindelRock was a smaller firm with more opportunities to get to know my coworkers, it felt much less daunting to intern here than at a larger firm. I also liked the culture at ShindelRock, the culture is friendly and laid back, very welcoming.
Q: What do you expect to work on during your internship at ShindelRock? What do you hope to come away with at the end of the season?
A: I expect to work on preparing 1040s, 1099s and helping out with admin activities. I hope to come away with more experience in UltraTax and feel more confident preparing 1040s. I also hope to get some experience working on business tax returns, and overall, gain a better understanding of what accounting work I enjoy doing so I can make informed career planning decisions.
Q: What drew you to study accounting, and what makes you excited about the profession?
A: I was originally a mechanical engineering student but decided to switch my major after having a difficult time finding an internship doing work I thought I would enjoy. I realized I didn't really have any interest in the engineering field, even though I still found my engineering courses interesting. I decided I would try to go into Actuarial Science (an intensive math degree), but after getting COVID-19 I had a difficult time keeping up with the heavy course load. In this process I took an intro accounting course as a prerequisite for the actuarial science program and really enjoyed the class. I found the topic engaging and the class was intuitive for me. Since I was struggling to keep up in the actuarial science program, I switched my major to accounting and have felt confident in my decision since then.
I'm excited about the career opportunities and job security that are available in the accounting field. The accounting industry is expected to have a positive job outlook and growth over the next 10 years.
Q: What is your background, college/major and graduation plans, etc.?
A: I graduated from Oakland University in December (2024) with a BS in Accounting. I plan to start studying for the CPA exams this summer.
