Summer 2024 Accounting Internship Spotlight

Keiter Internship Spotlight: Raine Weis

At Keiter, we are always looking for talented and motivated individuals who share our values and vision. Our 2024 summer intern class is no different as we have nearly 20 students joining us. One of those students is Raine Weis, a rising senior attending Christopher Newport University (CNU). Raine speaks highly of her classes at CNU. She was looking for a university that had a well-respected academic program and an established athletic program. The Luter School of Business and the growing tennis program provided the complete package.

About Raine

Raine grew up in Hanover, Virginia, about 30 minutes north of Richmond. Being a part of a family of highly driven people, the idea of achieving mastery in a specific area has always been present in her life. Many in her family played tennis, and she followed suit by picking it up when she was five. Ever since she started playing, it has not only kindled her competitive spirit but also served as a way to build community with others.

Going into college, that desire for community was especially present as she was beginning her freshman year in 2021, still in the height of COVID. The pandemic made it difficult to tour schools at the time, but Raine felt fortunate to visit CNU and find what she was looking for so close to home. Her academic journey began with an undeclared business major, where she was able to learn the basics about different specialty areas. In her freshman year, an assignment in class required an interview with a business professional. Raine interviewed Mike Gracik which was instrumental in helping her to decide to focus on accounting. As she moved into her junior year, she made the decision to major in accounting

Keiter connection

When it became time to look for an internship, it was no surprise that Keiter was on her list. Her first mention of Keiter came from Mike Todd, a late partner of the Firm, and great uncle to Raine. Following his passing, she heard about the impact Mike had on his community and the clients through the work done at the Firm. She remembers how he believed in establishing a personal relationship with his clients that fostered trust.

Knowing about his experience with the Firm, she sought Keiter out at CNU’s job fair last fall. Even though she knew an internship would be difficult to schedule due to her athletics, she still stopped to talk with the recruiting team present at the event. One of the team members present was Brett Sinsabaugh, a partner at Keiter, an alumnus of CNU, and an avid tennis player. A casual conversation quickly turned into an on-campus interview. During the interview process, Raine shared her schedule concerns with the recruiting team. Keiter’s openness to flexible work arrangements enabled her to pursue her tennis career and the summer internship.

Raine’s internship experience

While her fellow interns began the Keiter internship, Raine was in St. Louis, Missouri competing in the Division III NCAA Tournament for tennis. She was initially worried she was going to be far behind, but from the moment she walked in the Keiter office she received guidance and support from the staff and fellow interns. She specifically mentioned how Connie, Front Desk Coordinator, and her buddies Josh and Siera, brought her up to speed quickly.

Keiter summer internships split into two sections where half the group works with the audit team, and the other half works with tax, then at the midpoint of the internship they switch, so each intern gets experience working in both audit and tax. Raine began her internship with the Business Assurance & Advisory Services team testing preliminary analytics, cash, accounts payable, expenses, and final analytics for an audit engagement led by Chris Wallace, audit partner. Throughout the project, she worked with senior managers to associates. This allowed her to build relationships with people at various levels in their career. At the end of the project, she states she was able to look back and see the impact of her work and how it helped the team with the audit.

Raine also spoke on developing relationships with her fellow interns. She raved about how great they were and how Keiter facilitates internship interaction. She shared, “Keiter promotes these relationships” when speaking on the team building opportunities with other accounting interns. Raine particularly enjoyed intern outings, including a cruise of the Richmond Canal and a day at Kings Dominion. She also participated in the McDonald’s Mid-Atlantic Clay Court Championship tennis tournament held at Salisbury Country Club that the Firm helps to sponsor each year.

What is next?

At the time of writing, Raine and the other interns have just passed the halfway point of their internship. While she enjoyed the audit portion of the internship, she is excited to experience the tax side. When talking about what she hopes to gain from the tax session, she states, “I need to see both (sides) to know that I am making the right career path decision.”

At the end of her internship, she will return to CNU to begin her senior year. After which she hopes to continue her education and pursue a master’s in accounting. She plans to use the credits from her master’s degree to work toward her CPA designation.

Raine began the internship unsure what specialty areas she would like to pursue in the accounting industry. Through the internship she has stated she feels more confident about a career in accounting. She then follows up by saying “Apart from helping choose a specific field in accounting, Keiter set the bar high when emphasizing meaningful relationships and prioritizing employee well-being. The supportive environment has set a standard for the type of workplace culture I seek in my future career. “

If you are interested in being a part of an upcoming internship classes find out for details about the process here.