Q&A with Leanna Restani ‘22: She provided critical thinking and analytics skills — and learned what she wants from an employer
Why accounting?
A family member told me to look into it. He knew how my mind worked. Going through (finances) and making sure everything lines up — it’s a sense of accomplishment and, honestly, relief. The work ensures the company is doing well, keeping track of where everything is going, and nothing is missing … or it could find the source of problems.
How was your internship experience?
I had a great time at Deloitte & Touche! I met professionals from all over the world and heard their unique stories. This really helped me think about how I want to shape my own future.
What did you do, day to day, at your internship?
Every day was different. I made Zoom/Skype calls, filled out different documents, and assisted on large projects. I always felt like I could reach out and ask questions if needed.
I worked on a team for a client; we looked into what the client was doing to see if they were safe. My department was less accounting and more consulting, so I have been able to apply critical thinking techniques to help. My role also was to learn about the company and what the work entails.
Remote or in-person?
I worked out of my apartment in East Rochester. Deloitte was kind enough to send all of the interns Samsung tablets for the duration of the internship, free of charge.
What was cool about this experience, for you personally?
Time for networking was included. So I got to ask people all about their lives and how the company treats them. This made me realize how important it is to me that I get what I want from a company. I’ve been told countless times by the professionals that this is my chance to interview Deloitte for a career since they’ve already interviewed me. This internship allowed me to see real things I could actually work on in this industry, and it’s amazing how everyone wasn’t overly demanding of me as an intern.
How does this tie into what you’re studying — as an accounting major with minors in analytics and psychology?
So in my major, it is extremely necessary to have a proper background in how things work. I need to understand where numbers and changes are coming from, so that I can properly help the clients. Since I wasn’t doing typical accounting work this summer, being in the consulting and advisory department, I was also able to use my analytics knowledge in the necessary controls of things. I did a lot of controls testing — looking at the company’s current operations and making sure they aren’t confusing or vulnerable to outsiders with malicious intent — so that really combined both accounting and analytics. I improved the language and format of some documents, to make them look cleaner for presentation; this allowed me to look at the information collected as well.
And my psychology minor was so helpful in seeing how the company and the employees are all treating each other. I became aware of the mental health support that I could get there.
What difference does your Naz SPARK grant make?
The SPARK Grant is a miracle from Naz! I needed a three-credit internship to graduate, and this was my saving grace to be able to afford the credits during the summer. (SPARK provides a tuition scholarship for summer SPARK-eligible experiences that earn credit, worth about $2,500.) I was able to remain in Rochester while also saving money for future expenses, and for that I am so grateful. I was paid for the internship.