Prairie State is excited to welcome Courtney Drake as the Accounting/Finance Intern for the summer!
Courtney is from Sparta, Illinois, and is currently pursuing a degree in accounting. She will be entering her sophomore year this fall at Illinois College. Courtney’s interest in accounting started early thanks to her love of working with numbers and the influence of her mother. “I’ve always liked working with numbers, and my mom has a finance degree, so she encouraged me to pursue a similar career that combined my interests,” she shared.
Before joining Prairie State, Courtney gained experience in customer service through her role as a waitress at local restaurants in her hometown. She looks forward to applying what she has learned in the classroom to real-world business operations and gaining valuable hands-on experience in her role.
At Illinois College, Courtney stays actively involved on campus through the Illinois College Honors Program and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Outside of school and work, she enjoys spending time with friends, shopping, and going on walks.
Throughout the summer, Courtney hopes to strengthen her understanding of the day-to-day responsibilities of accountants and gain exposure to different areas within the profession. “I want to understand the work of accountant’s day to day. I have only a general knowledge of accounting from my courses at school, and through this internship I can experience the work firsthand, which is exciting.”
Throughout her first couple weeks at Prairie State, she has been involved in reviewing purchase orders, comparing receipts and records, completing AP voucher reviews, and logging commodities. She is especially excited to continue learning more about the many specialties within accounting as she explores potential career paths. “This internship will help me figure out my passions within this field,” Courtney explained. “I also want to learn about the different subtypes of accounting to see which one is my favorite.”
Looking ahead, Courtney plans to pursue a master’s degree and sit for the CPA exam after graduation. Reflecting on her experience so far, Courtney shared, “I have had a great experience starting my position. Everyone is so nice and eager to teach me skills within my role, which has already helped me learn so much.”
We are excited to have Courtney here this summer and look forward to seeing all she accomplishes during her internship experience!