Members of the Student Accounting Association (SAA) benefitted greatly from an opportunity to hear from three IUP alumni working at Alpern Rosenthal, a regional accounting firm based in Pittsburgh, Pa., during a meeting on March 12, 2013, in the atrium of the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology.
To start off the meeting, employees of Alpern Rosenthal Heath Winsheimer gave an overview of the firm and answered questions about the hiring process and the day-to-day happenings of the firm.
Ronald Miller, manager of the tax department at Alpern Rosenthal, then spoke and answered questions about working in the tax department and preparing for the CPA exam.
Finally, Kristin Welk, who graduated from IUP in May 2012 and now works as a staff accountant in the audit and assurance department at Alpern Rosenthal, answered questions about what it is like when you start a job at a firm. She also gave useful tips on what students should focus on before graduating.
The students enthusiastically asked questions of the three alumni and were able to learn from their success stories.
“The presentation was helpful for students because it gave three different career perspectives and increased knowledge and awareness about Alpern Rosenthal,” said Megan Morris, president of SAA.
Networking opportunities like this allow students to gain knowledge of their future career fields by interacting with professionals, and SAA will host future events to continue in this goal.
—By Katlyn Glaser