MAHAN IS business STUDENT OF THE YEAR

Taylor Mahan, a senior accounting major, is the 2020 Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Employers JoAnne Day Student of the Year in the Business category. The awards recognize students who have completed an internship or co-op.

Mahan, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, completed a finance internship with PITT OHIO where she led a group of interns and completed an individual credit card analysis project that led to future policy changes within PITT OHIO.

“Taylor rose to the challenge and handled this work efficiently and effectively, finishing many items accurately while only having been shown them once, and asking thoughtful questions when necessary,” said Don Riddle, assistant controller at PITT OHIO. In eight years of the department using interns, Mahan was the first to work independently on a monthly closing cycle.

In recommending her for the award, Dr. Tony Vega, Clarion professor of atmospheric science, described Mahan as a “consummate self-starter who sets realistic goals and accomplishes them.”

On campus, Mahan is president of the Accounting Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success, and is chair of the Clarion Student’s Association Board of Directors. In 2018, she was part of a team that won second place and $1,000 in the university’s BizPitch competition.

After graduating in May, Mahan plans to complete another internship as a tax analyst for Schneider Downs. Afterward, she will return to Clarion University to complete the MBA program.