AAF Intern Blog: James Masison

*James Masison, MBA interned at AAFCPAs in the summer of 2015 (at the time this blog was written), and he joined the firm full time in the Spring of 2016. In the fall of 2016 until Spring 2017, James worked part time at AAFCPAs while simultaneously earning his MBA from Assumption College.  He serves diverse nonprofits, but is most actively involved as a member of AAFCPAs’ Healthcare Practice serving community health centers, and human and social service providers. 
This summer I stepped into a whole new unknown world–the world of public accounting. As a junior in college I had very little context of the hands-on work involved in auditing. I was nervous going into such an unknown environment. I arrived the very first day to a board room filled with fellow interns, and quickly realized I was sitting in a room of very intelligent people.  I questioned my readiness.  I had the opportunity to work with a variety of clients, from small nonprofits, to large for-profits, which allowed me to see how different organizations operate.  I also had the opportunity to work with many different coworkers, from staff accountants to Partners. I never felt like a low-level intern; I was always treated as an important coworker. Everyone at AAF is genuinely friendly and helpful. My questions were happily answered, and this enabled me to get a strong understanding of the whole audit process. I was given responsibilities which pushed me to not only learn and understand, but that also provided me with opportunities to interact directly with clients, including executive directors, CFOs, and controllers.  I learned a tremendous amount during my summer internship.  I am very grateful to AAFCPAs for this phenomenal experience, which undoubtedly ignited my passion for public accounting.