This summer I’ve been interning at Ernst & Young in Nashville, and it’s been the time of my life! As an IT Risk and Assurance intern, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I know I couldn’t have imagined an experience like this.
During my first week, we had training in Atlanta with all of the other Advisory and Assurance interns in the Southeast. I met the 9 other interns at the airport, and we had a great time getting to know each other. So great of a time that we didn’t realize we had been standing at the baggage claim for an hour, still waiting on another intern’s luggage. Although it had been left in Nashville (don’t worry, she got it back the next day!), we continued our adventure onto the MARTA and finally made it to the hotel. The next few days were filled with orientation, training, and, best of all, intern bonding. Ernst & Young made sure that we were having a great time, and the training was really interactive. The first night there, we had a dinner at Max Lagers and got to know everyone, but that was only the first of many great nights. Each evening, a large group of us would go explore the city and share our experiences. I’m not surprised that I had such an amazing time with the interns, nor was I surprised about the promises made at EY orientation.
At orientation, Ernst & Young emphasized the importance of diversity, inclusiveness, and continuous growth. While those words are thrown around and placed in brochures and policy guides at other companies, here at EY, I’ve seen that they truly embrace it. My teams are made with people from around the world (fun fact: studies have shown that diverse teams outperform and problem-solve quicker than those that are made up by people of the same background and culture). My team, senior managers, and executive director are always checking in with me. They encourage studying for new certifications and web-based learning modules specific to your line of work. They have fun, from kickball teams to volunteer days to even cooking classes. They offer opportunities for upward movement and value feedback, and they reward their employees for a job well done. And they take pride in their reputation and make sure that their values are always communicated to the client. Although I’ve only been here a couple weeks, I know I’m lucky to have this experience. I’ve learned more in the past couple weeks that I can explain: IT risk assessments and compliance, effective writing, control testing and walkthroughs, speaking with clients, understanding business value, etc.
I’m looking forward to my future time here, and I’ll be sure to report back about the upcoming volunteer days, the intern activities, team travel, client work, and, last but not least, our trip to Orlando for the International Intern Leadership Conference! Now I’m off to work for another day in the life of an EY intern!
–Andrea Olson
UA Management Information Systems 
Andrea, I’ll be asking you to describe what you’ve learned about effective writing. We want our management communication coursework to prepare you for the workplace. Have fun!