The Symba Spotlight Part Seven: Grace Amponsah
Grace Amponsah is interning with Ernest and Young this summer, where she hopes to learn more about business and accounting. Grace has big plans to change the world, both at her internship and beyond. Read more about how her experience is honing her skills as a future leader, and what she has been up to so far.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Ghana, but grew up in New Jersey. I am currently a student at The George Washington University pursuing a degree in Accounting and minoring in Sociology. My goals in life is to pursue a Master degree in Accounting, earn my CPA, and work with one of the Big Four Accounting firms. In the long term, I plan to obtain a degree in Business Law to become a corporate lawyer. I love to travel, cook, be on YouTube, running, and play soccer for fun.
Tell us about your remote internship. What is your title, and what are the projects and daily tasks you work on?
I am currently a Launch Intern at Ernst and Young in the McLean Office, which is remote due to COVID-19. The Launch Internship offers undergraduate students the ability to establish the beginning of their career. Specifically, my internship focuses on collaborating with a variety of teams to complete projects and gain experience in the daily operations of the global organization. Working with professionals across various departments, such as Tax, Audit, Consulting, and Advising, will increase my understanding of the industry and continue to cultivate my current skills.
What are you enjoying most about your remote internship?
I just completed my first week of training with EY and the most enjoyable moment was meeting other peers from different backgrounds and ethnicities. The host for our national training week, Tara Chamber, was welcoming, charming, and relatable as we nicknamed her “the Queen of Tiktok.” EY made me feel like family and made me feel I deserved to be here. The warmth that everyone has shown me makes me excited to intern for this company. I am so glad that I chose EY.
What new skills have you learned so far?
So far, I learned how to problem solve more creatively and increased my interpersonal skills. I would not generally describe myself as an extrovert or a creative person. However, EY challenged me to expect more from myself. They provide the interns with case studies for us to review and ask us to give opinions on how they should move forward. With these case studies, it helps me think outside of the box. Additionally, EY ensures that we make connections with other EY professionals around the world and learn about their career path as we work collaboratively on projects.
How have your company and internship manager supported you through your internship?
My counselor and advisor for my EY internship both continually give me feedback on my accomplishments and areas that I need to improve in, which helps keep me accountable and strive to work harder. Additionally, I am honored and blessed to be one of the recipients for the EY Intern Scholarship Funds and I will be receiving a scholarship to pay some of my school fees. EY emphasizes helping people who are facing financial hardships or have been affected by difficult times.
What advice would you give to other interns about to embark on their first remote internship?
Even though internships have gone remote, still treat it as if you were going into the office. Remember that EY chose you to join the time because of your uniqueness. The company believes that your unique self can make a positive difference for the company. So, continue to so your strengths and passion for what you do while having fun and being yourself. Also, try to make connections with the professionals and your peers.
By Anika Pasilis
