Augustana University student Emily Grein ‘24, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is a double major in accounting and finance. This summer, she traveled back to her roots in Minnesota for an internship at Northrop Gruman in Plymouth. According to the company’s website, “Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace,” and its “employees are Defining Possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.” Grein called the hands-on experience a “perfect match” for her personal goals as she hopes to earn a certified public accountant (CPA) license and work as an accountant.
Q: What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
A: I am one of the co-chairs of Serving and Learning Together (SALT). As a result, I participate in a lot of the SALT events and monthly meetings.
Q: Where or how did you hear about Augustana?
A: My dad is an Augustana alumnus and showed me parts of campus when I was a child. I returned to campus my senior year of high school for an official tour!
Q: What is/are the reason(s) you chose to come to Augustana?
A: I chose to go to Augustana because of the smaller class sizes and campus, which was refreshing after attending a large high school for four years. Additionally, I liked the familiarity of the Sioux Falls area to my dad, some of my family members and myself. My tour guide really sold Augustana as a welcoming place with dedicated students who want to learn. I could tell that the professors want to build relationships with their students and are enthusiastic to answer any questions that deepens their learning. I also liked that it was close enough to home where I could visit, but far enough away where I could start to build some independence.
Q: What will your job duties include?
A: My internship is a very comprehensive experience of working in the finance department at Northrop Grumman. I am assigned unique projects weekly by my manager. For example, I have created several charts and graphs that visually demonstrate cost allocation trends, where our indirect costs come from, and worked to convert their Saudi Arabian subsidiary’s financial information to ours. I interact with different forms of budget information for the company and will help prepare monthly operation reports and financial schedules for the Armament Systems. I also help in a project that will keep track of long-term assets and physical inventory. On a weekly basis, I review transactions to ensure that the correct accounts were debited and credited properly, as well as determine if certain costs are allowable on government contracts.
Q: How did you get the internship? Did anyone help you? What did that journey look like?
A: I applied to Northrop Grumman by job surfing online and had my CAP specialist look over my resume. I knew that I wanted a summer internship and decided to reach back to my roots in Minnesota. I had a strong interview with Northrop Grumman, and I got an offer in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota driving back to Sioux Falls. I was ecstatic!
Q: What do you like most about your internship?
A: I think that the assets and projects (defense weaponry and ammunition) that I am working with are cool. I had the opportunity to visit their proving grounds which was fascinating. I also like that I get many aspects of financial/managerial accounting and finance with this internship. It is a perfect match for my personal goals.
Q: What do you hope to learn/gain from the internship?
A: I hope to learn professional skills and become familiar with the business environment in the defense industry. Secondly, I want to grow my skills in Excel and see how accountants use tools (i.e software) to keep track of thousands of transactions, accounts and assets. Last, I want to apply what I learned in class to real business information and scenarios.
Q: Why is experiential learning so important to you in your future endeavors?
A: Experiential learning is important for self-reflection and growth because it can show your strengths, bring awareness to your weaknesses and help to discover what you like and dislike. Also, I believe that experiential learning helps build connections to the subjects we learn in class. It is really rewarding to see these concepts be applied in real life!
Q: How important is building relationships/connections?
A: While there is value in being independent, building relationships and connections are extremely important in the business world. My coworkers and supervisor have been so helpful getting me up to speed with all of Northrop Grumman’s funny acronyms, guiding me through numerous software tools and teaching me how to use Excel. Furthermore, they have been very welcoming, enriching my experience. Never be afraid to ask questions; often, the responses are invaluable.
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