RAWC Dinner

Hello Everyone,

This week I got to write letters and an FAQ for some AICPA services. I also researched recent cases of fraud, many of which were Ponzi schemes just like Bernie Madoff’s. Aside from work though, I have been enjoying the company of other zetes by attending social functions such as the bi-weekly RAWC dinners. These dinners involve many alumni who each bring a bottle of wine, which we all share throughout the meal. The most recent dinner took place at Shafer City Oyster Bar and Grill, where the chef is Wall Street Scholar’s Andrew Shaffer’s father. He treated us like family and cracked jokes all night while serving us the finest in oysters, crab cakes, tilefish, clam chowder, scallops, and steak. It was a delicious meal at a great restaurant and I cannot wait for next RAWC dinner on August 10th.

In TKP,
Eric

Calendar (Mark)

Hey Guys,

Early this week I finished the project with the spreadsheets that I was talking about. Once I finished I got to make some headway on a project that I was told about earlier, but hadn’t gotten the chance to start. I just started working on putting together a wall calendar to help promote financial literacy in people from the ages of 24-35. If you followed Ben Meck’s blog two years ago, then you’ll know that he worked on the ’07 version. It’s a lot of fun putting it together because I get to write the financial tips that are going to be in the body of the calendar and I get to meet with the graphics team to make the decisions on what images get put into the calendar. Keep your eyes peeled for the Feed The Pig 2010 financial calendar!

Mark

Hi everyone, its been a while since I have posted. A lot has happened since my last post. As my responsibilities have gotten greater here at IFC I have been able to see a lot of my work being used. Just the other day a campaign launched that I made the production schedule for. This was pretty cool to see something I worked on scheduling get launched. There are many projects in the works that I have been able to help out with and I am really looking forward to seeing them go through. I have been gaining a lot of experience and it has been fun here, not to mention all of the great people I have gotten to meet. Just the other day I got to meet with Evan Shapiro before my day started. We talked about plans for my future and he gave me some great advice. It was a very useful talk. Outside of the internship I have also been able to meet some brothers in the New York area. This was at a wine tasting at my dad's restaurant it was a really good time. This summer has been a great experience for me so far and I only anticipate it getting better.

TKPhi,

James Shaffer

Spreadsheets (Mark)

Hey Guys,

So I’m currently working on this project that the AICPA's communications team (the team that I am a part of for the summer) has been working on for a long time. I hopped on in the tail end of the project and now I’m reviewing a ton of spreadsheets and making sure that all the data in the rows and columns match up and that anything in the cells are well written. It is a little tough staying focused when you are reviewing hundreds of cells an hour, but knowing that this project is important not only for the AICPA but also for the financial community is a great motivator.

Until Next time.

Mark

Leadership Academy

This week was a busy one at the AICPA. We had the Leadership Academy going on in Chicago from July 7-9 and we got to see all of our hard work come to fruition. Months of preparation finally came together as 28 CPAs from across the country were mentored by the best on how to become leaders in their profession. My contribution to the project came in the form of a set of hypothetical questions that were asked of the attendees to solve or express their opinions on. It felt very rewarding for my work to be acknowledged in this capacity and I am grateful for the responsibility they gave me this early on. My experience at AICPA has continued to be pleasurable and I know it will continue to be as such. You can find out more about the Leadership Academy at http://www.aicpa.org/LeadershipAcademy/AICPA_Leadership_Academy_Info_Sheet.pdf.


In TKP,

Eric Pearson

The AICPA

Hello,

My name is Eric Pearson and I am interning at AICPA for the summer. During the year, I attend Cornell University and will be graduating next year. I am pursuing a degree in Industrial and Labor Relations which has helped to prepare me for many of the tasks I have accomplished so far this summer. In the three weeks I have worked so far, I helped in preparing the AICPA’s “CPA Letter Daily” and “CPA Letter Monthly” which keeps CPAs up-to-date on world news and how it affects the Accounting profession. I have also helped in designing programs for the AICPA’s “Leadership Academy” and collected and organized essential data for the organization.

So far the work has been interesting and I enjoy providing my services and witnessing events that thousands will see. One such occurrence was when I attended a live taping last week for the AICPA’s press release on the proposed IFRS for SMEs. I have lived in Manhattan my whole life
and really enjoy how close the office is to where I live. The work is rewarding and the office itself has a very friendly atmosphere. I look forward to providing further updates as the summer progresses.

In TKP,
Eric Pearson

Twitter! (Mark)

Hey Guys,

Ok so I think you should all sign up for Twitter (if you haven’t already) and follow 360Finances. It’s good not only because it will give you great tips on how to save money every half an hour, but it’s also run by me! So sign up and start following and you’ll be more financially literate in no time.

Mark

The Independent Film Channel

Greetings everyone. My name is Andrew Shaffer and I will be interning this summer with the Independent Film Channel. Currently I attend the University of Maryland in College Park where I will be graduating with a degree in marketing next year. I started my internship just over two weeks, and it has been very interesting so far. I have been working with the sponsorship department, and I have already learned so much about the many constantly moving parts that go into getting sponsors. Some projects I have gotten to work on have been learning how to make a proposal, making production schedules, and even finding the worth of certain transactions. This has all been very cool because I love movies, and I am practically immersed in what goes on behind the scenes every day.

Until next time TKPhi,

Andrew Shaffer

About Me: Mark

Hey guys,

I’m Mark Karatoprak. I’m originally from Fort Lee, New Jersey. I go to Seton Hall University where I study finance and economics and plan to graduate in 2011. I am a brother in the Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America where I just served as my chapter’s social chair. I also work for the Stillman Exchange where I was the Assistant Managing Editor this past year.

I was placed in the AICPA, which is the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, by the Wall Street Scholars program. The work is great and to be honest it’s nice putting a shirt and tie on every day and going to work in the city. I work in News Corp.’s Fox News building in a nice area right outside of Times Square.

I’m currently working for several financial literacy projects within the AICPA as well as doing some writing and editing for the Journal of Accountancy which is affiliated with the AICPA. It’s a lot of fun working here and the building is nice (especially my cubicle where I have a Marilyn Monroe poster right above my computer). It’s also nice knowing that the projects I work on are meant to help the community better understand the financial world, and help individuals be more financially independent.

Until next time,

Mark Karatoprak

Welcome!

Welcome to the Zeta Psi Wall Street Scholars Internship Blog. The Class of 2009 Summer Interns will blog here about their experiences and you'll get a chance to learn more about the program from their own words.

>> Ben Meck, WSS '07