Internship’s a Winner in Multiple Ways for BVU Senior
Allison Carlon's hard work during her senior year paid off when she was able to turn her internship with the Iowa State Auditor's Office into a career.
Allison Carlon’s internship with the Iowa State Auditor’s Office represented a win-win-win situation for the Buena Vista University accounting and finance major.
Win No. 1? She earned valuable experience.
Win No. 2? It was a paid internship.
Win No. 3? It directly led to the place where Carlon begins her career in June.
“My internship at the Iowa State Auditor’s Office last summer represented more of a regular staff position and less of an internship,” Carlon says. “I’m really grateful for the experience. It helped prepare me for what to expect.”
“I chose Buena Vista because the class sizes were appealing to me. I also met the professors in the School of Business and made a connection right away.”
Allison Carlon
Carlon interviewed for a position with the Iowa State Auditor’s Office during her senior year at BVU, mere weeks after concluding her internship. She landed the job and begins her career there in June.
And while the Fort Dodge resident, a graduate of Southeast Valley High School in nearby Gowrie, is ready to start working in Des Moines, she leaves behind lots of fond memories at BVU.
“I chose Buena Vista because the class sizes were appealing to me,” she says. “I also met the professors in the School of Business and made a connection right away.”
There was another physical factor that played a role: Storm Lake.
“I liked being on a campus next to a lake,” she says. “I never grew tired of taking a walk along the lake.”
Carlon didn’t limit her undergraduate activity to paid internships (she interned as a sophomore with Iowa Lakes Regional Water in Spencer), classes, and lakeside walks. Carlon was also a part of Team Wellness and participated with BVU’s Accounting and Business Association. She also played alto saxophone in the BVU jazz band and concert band, building upon an activity she thoroughly enjoyed in high school as a three-time participant in the prestigious Iowa Jazz Championships.
“It was fun to be able to perform with the bands at BVU,” Carlon says. “I liked working together for that final product we could present. It was fun being a part of the process.”