Macaulay Honors College student Zach Crespi just completed an internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Zach Crespi, a CSI triple major in Accounting, Economics, and Finance, as well as a Macaulay Honors College student who is planning to graduate next year, just completed an internship that was fulfilling on a number of levels—strengthening his career experience, but also giving him the opportunity to make the world a better place.
This past summer, he interned with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (PwC) in their Internal Audit practice in New York City. According to Crespi, “PwC is the number-one professional services firm in the world, and the largest of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms measured by 2012 revenues, employing around 180,000 employees in 776 cities across 159 countries.”
On a professional level, Crespi notes that he “was exposed to both financial services and non-financial services clients based in Manhattan. Throughout my eight-week tenure, I assisted Associates and Senior Associates with daily tasks, such as formatting and organizing audit documents, and performing controls testing. After learning the functions and steps of the audit process, I was able to structure scope memos and work plans for specific internal audit reviews.”
His internship wasn’t all about personal development, however. “My internship provided me with the opportunity to participate in PwC’s corporate responsibility program named Project Belize,” he explains. “A financial literacy program with its roots in New York City schools, Project Belize provides partners, principals, staff, and interns the ability to help improve upon the social and economic challenges facing the children and adults in Belize City, Belize. Through an extensive three-day financial literacy curriculum, I was able to make an impact on the lives of 20 ten-year-olds by teaching them important lessons about budgeting, financing, and creating a well-rounded business plan. To learn more about this amazing program, visit PwC’s Project Belize Website.”
Looking back on his Macaulay Honors College experience, so far, Crespi says, “As a Macaulay Honors College student, I have been privileged to interact with high-caliber students, staff, and professors. The school has continuously supported and encouraged me to go beyond my limits and achieve strategic milestones, such as landing a lucrative internship with PwC. My experiences with individuals throughout Macaulay has given me the tools I need to be successful in the business world, and allowed me to foster valuable relationships that I will always keep.”
Once he graduates from the Macaulay Honors College at CSI, Crespi plans to study for the CPA examination for a New York license. He will begin his studies next semester after returning from a winter session study abroad trip inSydney,Australia. After that, Crespi anticipates passing the exam during the summer of next year and hopes to begin working for a Big Four accounting firm in fall 2014.
