Accounting/Finance Intern, Olivia Schilling, has spent her summer reviewing and posting accounts payable batches, logging commodities from accounts payable invoices, and more.
Olivia’s tasks depend on the week and the time relative to close. She has worked on footing the monthly financial statement package, reconciling accounts, entering recurring monthly journal entries, updating fixed costs, auditing capital slide decks, participating in finance staff meetings, and any additional tasks that she is able to assist with. She has also spent a good deal of time shadowing different employees within the department to learn more about how the month-end process works.
Olivia has performed an internal audit of the delegation of authority register compared to Maximo, studied plant renovation and modernization closures, and worked on a U.S. coal plants benchmarking project. She has had the opportunity to travel to mine and plant warehouses to audit the inventory stored there and finish the audit of the above ground mine capital equipment. She plans to have all her projects completed by the end of her internship, while she will continue to work on the daily and weekly assignments she receives.
In her time interning at Prairie State, Olivia has learned a lot. One thing she appreciates is the company providing employees with opportunities for growth. She says, “From the minute I sat at my desk the first time, I had several different emails with invites to shadow and learn how to complete different tasks. Walking into this internship, I had very minimal experience with how financial practices were executed in the business world. I only knew how to complete different problems and such through college coursework. From my time here at Prairie State, I feel as if I have grasped and have been able to connect many things back to what I have been learning in school. I now have a better understanding as to why I am learning these different items.” Olivia has also appreciated the office environment. While working in a cubicle is an adjustment for her, she is glad to learn more about how an office works and what type of setting she will be working at in her future jobs.
This internship has been enjoyable for Olivia. Some of the things she’s enjoyed most include getting tours of the plant and mine, getting to audit the plant and mine warehouses, working in many different excel sheets and getting them to balance out, getting to know many different people, and getting a first look at what adult life will be like after college. She says, “So far, my favorite and most memorable part has been interviewing different coworkers to learn more about each one of them and their background, as well as to assist me in figuring out my future path. These interviews have helped me understand that it is okay for plans to change, and that everyone has a different path.”
Future plans for Olivia include graduating from Mississippi State University in the spring of 2025, with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in business analytics. After a year or two of work experience, she then plans to return to school to earn a master’s degree in business administration, while continuing to work at least part-time. She hopes to work her way up in a reputable company to one day become a Chief Financial Officer.
Originally, Olivia wanted to attend graduate school immediately after earning her bachelor’s degree. Through her coworker interviews, she has learned that it is easier to complete a master’s degree program having experience in your field of study. This internship has also helped Olivia realize that this type of financial management is her niche. She says, “I am incredibly happy to have interned here at Prairie State and cannot wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!”