Internships Help Manhattan College Students Find Desirable Career Paths

Accounting and Marketing Double Major

Private Client Services Tax Intern at Andersen

Clare Farrelly ’22, ’23 (MBA) worked virtually this summer as a private client services tax intern at Andersen, handling tax returns for a variety of clients. She worked regularly with Gino Giglio ’17, who is a senior associate at Andersen. Each day, she and the other metro area interns met with a managing director or partner to learn about how their internship and work with the firm would progress. She says, although virtual, Andersen created an opportunity for interns to meet and learn more about the firm. In July, they attended Intern Connect in Chicago for networking and the opportunity to meet industry professionals.

By the end of the summer, Farrelly had earned an internship for next summer and secured a full-time position in the New York office as an associate for fall 2023. “I gained technical skills when it came to using tax reporting software,” she says. “I became comfortable and polished my skills in CCH, GoFileRoom, and Excel.”

Pointing to a strong curriculum, she says, “The O’Malley School of Business accounting department prepared me significantly for my role as a tax intern at Andersen. Additionally, as a part of Beta Alpha Psi I volunteered as an income tax assistant for Ariva, where I received the advanced IRS certification for completing taxes. This gave me a definite leg up when it came to understanding the technical programs used to complete private client service returns.”

Civil Engineering Major and Business Minor

Internship with Suffolk Construction, Red Hook, Brooklyn

Mohamad Karim ’22 gained experience in both operations and project management during his internship with Suffolk Construction. He worked on the building of a new Amazon warehouse — the first multistore warehouse on the East Coast.

He was assigned with tracking the daily progress and daily reporting for the spray of fireproofing and was also responsible for everything inspection-related, including concrete, steel, fireproofing and masonry. On the project management side, Karim managed requests for information (RFIs) and submittals for work-in-progress and future interior work.

“I experienced first hand work ethics like teamwork, collaboration, discipline, and adherence to organizational processes,” Karim says. “I got to learn more about the engineering and construction industries, which helped me decide what I want to do as a career.”

He credits Manhattan College with preparing him both technically and professionally. “I was able to apply skills I learned from the classroom to real-world experience,” he says. “Complex courses have taught me exceptional critical thinking skills and that the answers will not always be in front of my face.”

Marketing Major and Communication Minor

International Rescue Committee, Small Business Development Center, San Diego, CA

Erin Prevo ’22  interned virtually with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in San Diego, California. She regularly interviewed small business owners across San Diego County and worked with them to help promote their businesses. Prevo says, the interesting thing about all these businesses is that they have been started by refugees/displaced people. Their businesses are typically something that started back in their home country and restarted in San Diego, or something that came out of moving to the United States. Prevo told their unique stories through articles she wrote for the IRC’s monthly newsletter, which is sent to potential SBDC clients, current clients and other stakeholders.  

“Working with the International Rescue Committee has helped me gain a new perspective on how I approach business,” she says. “Almost every client that I spoke to this summer was removed from their home country and were forced to rebuild their entire life. Even with these major setbacks, they took something that they were extremely passionate about, poured themselves into it, and made it their career.”

She credits her communication classes with helping prepare her. “Most of my job was writing, editing, and promoting, which I wouldn't have been able to accomplish without the tools laid out to me by the professors at Manhattan,” Prevo says.

She concludes, “This internship has really helped me shape how I want to approach my career after graduation. It's so important to find something that you're passionate about, you love to do and benefits others.”

Five-year Adolescent & Special Education Program at MC, Undergraduate Major is Adolescent Education with a Concentration in English

Curriculum Developer and Facilitator at NYC Together

Danielle Rivas served as the sole curriculum developer and facilitator at NYC Together, a nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn that focuses on supporting youth by elevating community strengths and organizations into crime reduction partners. She created a six-week program centered around the importance of voting and advocacy in addressing social justice issues, including environmental injustice and felon disenfranchisement. Rivas also served as the facilitator responsible for teaching the program to 17 high school students employed through a summer youth program at NYC Together. Some of the activities Rivas included in her four-hour sessions were interactive group work and brainstorming sessions.

“NYC Together gave me an opportunity to activate my knowledge by allowing me to try out the techniques and strategies I'd learned about in my methods classes at Manhattan College,” she says. “I was also very fortunate to intern at a site with a supervisor who challenged me and expected a lot from me. It forced me to fill the role of educator and mentor, because my students depended on me.” 

Rivas says that the experience gave her a leg up on her own student teaching for the semester.

She concludes, “I'm so grateful that I had this experience and that throughout my time at MC, I've been able to find people and organizations that push me to challenge myself and do hard things.”

Allied Health Major and Biology and Psychology Minors

Research Assistant at New York Medical College

Stephanie Zandel ’22 was fully in-person throughout the internship, enabling her to do a variety of tasks, from data collection to working with patients directly. She also shadowed healthcare professionals such as nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, psychologists and neuropsychologists. She attended rounds in a variety of specialties such as bone-marrow transplant, hematology-oncology, neurology-oncology, survivorship, and solid tumor. Zandel also created a detailed report of findings and improvements needed for the wellness program at Maria Fareri.

She was paired with the Medical Center through the College’s W.I.S.E. Program. “I wouldn’t have had my experience if I wasn’t chosen for the competitive all women career development program, which I’m so grateful for.”

“I had a remarkable experience at my internship and feel more knowledgeable about many aspects of the healthcare field,” she says. “I learned about research protocols, consenting patients, and improving my research skills. I gained a better perception of patient medical experiences and the psychosocial impact it has on their lives. I also expanded my medical vocabulary and better understand the dynamics of integrated care.”

She points to her experiences in Sigma Delta Tau sorority, Operation Smile and a LOVE trip as good preparation for her internship. Zandel holds leadership positions in a number of clubs, including the president of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Honor Society, co-president of the Pre-Nursing Club, awareness chair of Operation Smile and genetics research assistant in Manhattan College’s Biology Department.“These roles and the students I’ve met through these organizations encouraged me to take initiative in finding two internships the previous summer: interning for the Afya Foundation, a medical supply recovery organization, and interning for the Exercise Coach, a fitness franchise.” 

Zandel says this internship confirmed her desire to pursue a career in nursing. “I think my experience made me more confident in my abilities as a leader, which I apply to my current leadership positions on campus.”