This summer, students from the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics discovered new avenues for professional preparation and practical hands-on experience. Lerner College students pursued an array of internships, externships and other professional development opportunities. From MBA scholars to undergraduates entering their second year at UD, students across a spectrum of Lerner programs shared their experiences accomplishing an assortment of projects.
Our “My Summer Internship” series highlights these unique experiences, showcasing how students translated classroom knowledge into real-world success.
Peter Buckle, Class of 2026 finance and accounting double major, spent his summer in FSO (WAM) Audit and Assurance at EY.
Lerner: How did you find out about this internship? Why did you pursue it?
Buckle: I found out about the internship with EY through various on-campus opportunities, namely the Lerner career fair, Purnell interest table, and guest speaker series in AKpsi and BHIC. Additionally, I made an effort to connect with alumni and previous employees to understand more about the role, and leveraged those connections to support my application efforts.
I pursued the internship with EY as the company has a plethora of resources to help build my financial acumen and develop my professional career. As EY is one of the named “big four” accounting firms, I firmly believed that the personal growth opportunities would be tremendous, and I would be able to thrive.
Lerner: What was the most exciting task or project that you completed?
Buckle: The most exciting task that I completed was attending a week-long invitational Digital Ambassadors Program in Nashville, TN. I was selected as 1 of 40 out of 2000 EY nationwide interns, and had the opportunity to work on a client-focused project using data manipulation tools to work in a case competition. The materials completed during the competition were presented to managing and senior partners within the company where my team placed fourth overall. The opportunity provided the chance to explore Nashville’s night life, meet like-minded industry professionals, and work on stimulating problem solving tasks.
Lerner: What did you learn from the internship that you think you wouldn’t have learned elsewhere?
Buckle: I learned to be adaptable, and that knowledge learned in a textbook is often not as clear cut as presented in classes/quizzes/exams compared to industry standards. When being tasked on different engagements and acquiring new knowledge through “on the job training,” you need to be flexible and able to adapt quickly to meet deadlines and help your team succeed.
Lerner: What is an example of a time where you were able to apply what you’ve learned at Lerner to your role?
Buckle: I was able to apply knowledge learned mainly from my ACCT302 class with Professor Fico during my internship. Her class taught me how to use accounting tools to problem solve, and seek a deeper understanding behind the raw data being presented. Additionally, when working on new funds, sometimes on a weekly basis, I found that skills learned in MISY160 and basics of Excel made completion of work much quicker. As I hadn’t yet taken an audit class at the university, much like other interns, the company taught the fundamentals of what they expected us to learn and apply on a daily basis. There was no expectation to come in being a fully fledged auditor, but rather have the skill to learn and apply on the job.
Lerner: Did you face any challenges during your internship? If so, what was the issue and how did you overcome it?
Buckle: I found that I didn’t experience any challenges during the internship. There was a strong and readily available support structure within the company that I utilized for clarifying questions; however, much of the work was introductory so it didn’t feel overwhelming.
Lerner: What are your career plans, and how do you think the internship will push you closer to your professional goals?
Buckle: My career ambitions are to work in the USA within the FSO Audit and Assurance practice; learning as much as possible about public and private funds. During my time at EY I plan to complete my CPA, and utilize the company’s resources to develop as much as possible. Additionally, I am currently working toward completing the CFA as a level 1 candidate, and hope to use the combination of finance and accounting to work toward higher roles within the company.