“My advisor’s whim turned into my career,” she said. Since declaring her major, there has been no shortage of hands-on opportunities. As a sophomore, Alvarez helped with an audit of a local camp and received an entrepreneurship grant to create her own bookkeeping business. As a junior, she prepared individual tax returns for community members through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. She has also completed three internships in both public and private accounting. “I am lucky in that I have had multiple internship experiences during my college career,” she said. “I learned a ton about the internal workings of a ‘Big Four’ accounting firm. I was offered a full-time position at the end of my (most recent) internship to begin the summer after I graduate.”
Three of the top 10 accounting firms in the country recruit students directly from the college, as do regional and local firms. In October, accounting firms made their annual visit to the college to interview accounting majors for internships and post-graduation jobs. “Goshen is one of the few small schools in Northern Indiana that the accounting firms will visit,” Horning said. “Other colleges have created a shared recruiting event to try and attract accounting firms to their students, but so far, GC doesn’t participate in that event, because accounting firms want GC students and come here to interview them.” According to Doug Nisley ’80, a partner at Crowe Horwath LLP, which routinely hires Goshen College graduates, firms look for students who take initiative, have real-world experience and can think on their feet. GC students fit the bill.
“We look for a well-rounded person who has excellent interpersonal skills as well as a broad range of knowledge,” Nisley said. “Our clients reside across the United States as well as internationally. Travel to our clients often puts our professionals in new and varying cultural settings. GC grads, due to their liberal arts education, as well as the intercultural experience they have on Study-Service Term, are very well-rounded. They have shown an excellent work ethic and common sense.”
LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Alvarez’s experiences outside the traditional classroom are part of what makes her and other students like her, as Nisley puts it, “well-rounded.” “I have had many opportunities to travel. I’ve studied in Peru for my Study-Service Term, taken a history course in Spain and Morocco, and a business course in Barcelona,” Alvarez said. “All of these courses and experiences have made the learning in the classroom more real. We talk about international differences in business, why not go to Spain and see them first hand? Getting to travel abroad in small groups has been an integral part of my learning experience.” In addition to studying abroad, Alvarez has been involved with various student organizations, participated in both intercollegiate and intramural athletics, and has won business competitions and awards. “There are so many clubs and organizations that all are welcome to join here, which may seem more intimidating at a larger university. It’s easy to get involved,” she said. “The atmosphere at Goshen is very community focused – if I don’t recognize someone in passing in the cafeteria or on the sidewalk, I am genuinely surprised.” To find out more about the accounting program, visit: goshen.edu/business
UNIQUE NEW MBA PROGRAM WILL SHAPE LEADERS FOR THE COMMON GOOD Goshen College has joined with Bluffton University and Eastern Mennonite University to launch The Collaborative MBA to shape transformative leaders. The program will be geared toward the well-being of people, community and planet, and will situate making profits within the context of ethical practices and contribution to the common good. Students will attend one week of residential courses at one of the three colleges, experience a week in an international setting and complete coursework online and via video conferencing. The 36 credit hour program will result in a master of business administration degree in one of eight different concentrations, including leadership, health care management, accounting and financial management, conflict transformation, sustainability, intercultural leadership or a selfdesigned path. “We’re interested in developing authentic leaders who understand that personal, business, organizational and community existence and success are tied to the sustainability of local and global systems,” said Jim Smucker ’84, The Collaborative MBA’s program director. Find out more at: www.collaborativemba.org
Spring 2014 | BULLETIN
11