By Sofia Berger Trasandes (QST’21)
I had the pleasure to intern for Boston Road runners (BRR), a non-profit organization whose focus is to inspire and support people to run. I didn’t just strengthen my skills as an accounting intern but I joined a cheerful and passionate community.
CCD: Tell us a little about the organization.
BRR creates an open and accessible environment for athletes to support and foster the running community all around the Boston area. It brings together runners from different backgrounds and experience levels to unite runners in their love for sports.
I chose this internship because it aligned with my interests and my future goals. Moreover, I was eager to help and contribute to the community I live in, while doing what I love.
CCD: What were your responsibilities during the internship?
As an accounting intern, I had to foresee all the accounting of the organization. I used QuickBooks to manage the finances and my biggest responsibility was to record and process daily transactions and correct old ones. I had to sort and organize all bank and credit card transactions, do the monthly bank reconciliations, and balance the accounts.
Other responsibilities included to create the accounting reports for all months of operation, research topics related to the running industry, create records for the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), organize the Monday and Saturday running races, and volunteer at events, such as Wanderlust Yoga festival.
CCD: What was the work culture at your organization like?
The culture in BRR is awesome; as I said before, all the people involved are very passionate and vibrant. Every Monday all the interns and supervisors had a meeting, where we had to explain in detail what we were going to do that week and if we had any questions or comments for the team. As an accounting intern, I had to be in constant contact with all interns and had to ask them how their decisions will affect our organization financially.
Anthony, the human resources manager, helped all interns to feel welcome and provided a clear guide for us to do well in the internship. Good communication between supervisors and all interns was crucial.
CCD: What challenges did you face during your internship?
The biggest challenge that I faced was having so much responsibility in my first job experience, as I alone was in charge of the organization’s accounting and finance. In the beginning, I felt scared to fail or to do
something incorrectly. However, my supervisor was very understanding that it was my first job experience and answered all the questions I had. After two or three weeks I was excelling in the position and felt more confident. Other directors also provided me with guidance and recommendations.
CCD: What did you find the most rewarding part of your internship?
The most rewarding about this experience was to meet the interns, volunteers, and directors. Every person contributed in their own way and helped me understand other areas that are not of my expertise. Through my position, I better understood how the accounting works in a non-profit and how important it is the runners’ donation. But by constantly working with the human resources and marketing interns, I could have a better insight into how an NGO operates on these areas and how important it is to be mindful of the budget as a non-profit.
CCD: Did your internship help clarify your career goals?
After this experience, I am more confident that I want to work as an accountant. I am more familiar with the challenges that an accountant may face in an organization; however, the experience is more rewarding than challenging. I was surprised how my experience in Questrom helped me to navigate these challenges.
Now I am seriously considering following a career in a non-profit organization. I want to work as an accountant while helping the community; I believe there is no better way to do this as working in an NGO
that I am passionate about. What I loved in working a non-profit such as BRR is that the culture in the organization was so vibrant and friendly. I believe this is because NGOs have a more philanthropic objective.
Looking back at my internship experience I don’t have anything that I wish I could have done differently. I am proud of what I have achieved and I felt a very important piece of the organization.
BU + Beyond 