Rider University Student Paola Lopez Interns at Office of the State Auditor

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Paola Lopez ’12 and Michael Blake '12

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ (10/03/2011)(readMedia)-- Paola Lopez '12 of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., a senior Accounting major, at Rider University, recently completed a summer internship, gaining real-world experience as an auditor at the New Jersey Office of the State Auditor from June 6 through August 22. Lopez was able to apply the skills she has learned in class through a National Institute of Justice grant obtained by the Center for Business Forensics.

Lopez was assigned to work in the Office of Unemployment Insurance Services for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Through the internship, she became familiar with unemployment laws and had access to data to conduct queries.

"I was doing entry-level accounting work, and never treated as an intern. I felt like I was part of the auditing team," said Lopez, who is also interested in working for the state. "I know I definitely want to go into a career in auditing."

At Rider, Lopez is the secretary of the Rider chapter of the Institute of Management Accounting (IMA) and has participated in the IMA competition for Rider. She also serves as a teacher's assistant for one of Dr. Evelyn McDowell's Accounting courses and an Accounting tutor. She is an active member of the Accounting Society. Lopez also has previous experience working on tax returns for clients of H&R Block.

Rider student Michael Blake '12 of Jackson, N.J., a senior Accounting major, also interned at the Office of the State Auditor.

"These internships represent what our grant is all about," said Dr. William Amadio, director of the Center for Business Forensics and professor of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management. "The students got invaluable experience, and the state got some help with its busy workload. It was a win for all of us."