A new opportunity offered to students enrolled in Accounting One or Accounting Two was the possibility to visit Clifton Larson Allen for the day, an accounting firm in Minneapolis. The students who attended learned about the different sectors of business at Clifton Larson Allen, allowing students to determine if a similar career path is something they want to pursue further.
Upon arriving at the firm, the business students sat in one of the many conference rooms. They were met by two human resources workers, whose roles are to hire employees for the firm. They also informed students of internship opportunities at the firm. Afterward, other employees educated students on their roles in the company, which gave the students an opportunity to experience a typical day in the life of these employees. “It gave me an idea of what I maybe would want to do in the future and kind of what I wouldn’t be so interested in,” junior Lulu Ruckinski said.
In the afternoon, the employees educated students on how to build a resumé and what appeals to employers. Despite this being more relevant to older students who will soon apply for jobs and college, it gave good insight for the sophomores as well. “With a lot of the things that we try to set up, we’re trying to give students an opportunity to just see the real world that connects to whatever classes they’re taking. In this case business,” Director of Curriculum Instruction and Innovation Steve Pohlen said.
With a lot of the things that we try to set up, we’re trying to give students an opportunity to just see the real world that connects to whatever classes they’re taking. In this case business.”
— Dr. Steve Pohlen
The requirements to attend this field trip were limited to Grades 10-12 since only upperclassmen are eligible for enrollment in Accounting One or Two. With a total of around 60 students that went on this field trip, there was a positive overall reaction. BSM has offered other opportunities similar to this one and hopes to continue doing so since they have had a beneficial impact on students. “It’s great that BSM provides this opportunity for students to go out into the real world and see some job opportunities to get an idea of what they might be interested in in the future,” Ruckinski said.
Overall, with this opportunity being a success and opening student’s eyes to what they may want to pursue in the future, this opportunity will continue in future years. “We hope to continue this, I already started talking to the creators of it to redesign it, make it more interactive,” Pohlen said.