DOD internship is a key part of this accounting major’s experiential learning

Sarah Holland — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 13:53:49 +0000

DOD internship is a key part of this accounting major’s experiential learning Sarah Holland Mon, 10/02/2023 - 09:53

Accounting major Marcou Shohdi has a plan for his time at ��, and he is carefully executing it. His plan: to get experience in public, corporate, and government accounting before he graduates.

“This will allow me to make a well-informed choice regarding the direction of my career,” he said.

Photo by Ron Aira/��

Shohdi, who was born in Egypt and lives in Gainesville, Virginia, transferred to Mason from Northern Virginia Community College, where he earned his associate’s degree in business administration. For him, accounting as a major and a career was a clear choice.

Shohdi said what he is looking for in terms of his career was stability, flexibility, job security, and opportunities for advancement, and accounting provides all that.

“Accounting skills are always in demand,” he said. “Every business—from public accounting firms to nonprofits—needs to manage its financial records and comply with tax regulations, even during economic downturns.”

Shohdi already has six years in corporate accounting under his belt from his day jobs; he is currently a senior accountant at EEA Companies. This summer he decided to give government accounting a try.

Shohdi was one of four Mason students chosen for an internship in the U.S. Navy’s Financial Management and Comptroller (FM&C) Office. The program, a partnership between FM&C and Mason’s School of Business, was established by Dean Ajay Vinzé and Mason alum Alaleh Jenkins, BS Accounting ’97, who is principal deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, to bring new talent to government service.

Shohdi made the most of his time working at the Navy Yard and even completed the 23 courses required to obtain a level 1 Department of Defense (DoD) financial management certification.

“The skills I've gained in feedback coordination, status tracking, and collaboration are invaluable,” said Shohdi. “I'm particularly thankful for the exposure to cross-departmental collaboration, enabling me to incorporate compliance procedures into Navy policies. Tracking [Notices of Findings and Recommendations] responses and contributing to revisions has honed my process improvement abilities.”

He also said the DoD courses were a huge help in mastering the Navy’s many acronyms and systems.

What’s next up for Shohdi is public accounting, and he has that covered. He has an internship with KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting organizations, scheduled for January 2024.

Learn more about Accounting at Mason

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Ajay Vinzé

Senior of the Year graduates as a leader at Mason and at home

Colleen Rich — Tue, 04 May 2021 16:46:08 +0000

Senior of the Year graduates as a leader at Mason and at home Colleen Rich Tue, 05/04/2021 - 12:46

Senior of the Year Isabella Bah began her Mason journey as a student in the Early Identification Program. Photo provided

Isabella Bah, who graduates this month with a degree in accounting and a minor in entrepreneurship, is described as a motivated and determined leader by her mentors at ��.

Bah “is special because she embodies resilience and perseverance,” said Rhina Alvarado, associate director of Mason’s Early Identification Program (EIP), in which Bah, a first-generation student, participated beginning in the eighth grade.

“She knows the challenges many first-generation students face, and is committed to pay it forward by mentoring other first-generation students and serving as a role model to her peers,” Alvarado said.

Bah has been recognized by the Mason's Alumni Association as the Senior of the Year.

“I love the sense of community at Mason,” said Bah, a member of Mason’s Honors College. “I have had a lot of opportunities here, and I have worked hard.”

Bah has excelled at Mason, winning awards and finding leadership positions in which she has helped other students and the entire Mason community.

She earned the EagleBank Scholarship in Entrepreneurship and the Cardinal Bank Endowed Scholarship. Bah served as treasurer and then president of the African Student Association. She served as chairperson for Mason’s Student Chapter Reporting and Evaluation Program for the National Association of Black Accountants.

Bah serves as the treasurer and fundraising chairperson for a local nonprofit organization, Safe Haven Space, that helps provide mental health and wellness resources to immigrant and refugee communities. In high school, Bah participated in a variety of volunteer activities, such as providing food for the homeless.

“She often comes to my office after rushing from one leadership meeting to another, to let me know of more ways for students to get involved and, of course, to review her courses,” said Malerie Gamblin, Bah’s academic advisor in the School of Business.

Bah, of Woodbridge, Virginia, said it was her participation in EIP that made her determined to attend Mason.

“Through EIP, I knew the resources and opportunities available to me,” Bah said. “I was pretty set on coming to Mason. I also knew it wasn’t too far from home, and that attracted me too.”

EIP provides access to educational resources for middle and high school students who will be first in their families to attend college. It provided Bah with friends and mentors that helped ease her transition from high school.

“I already had my EIP family and that gave me strength,” Bah said. “As I grew at Mason, I ventured out into other groups and was able to foster relationships that made my years here much more enjoyable.”

Bah, who has two younger sisters, stayed active in EIP, serving as the budget assistant and as a mentor for the middle and high school students in the program.

“I’m glad my sisters were able to see all I was able to accomplish, and that has helped them to envision what they can accomplish,” Bah said. “My parents want us to have a better life, and so to see me excel makes them very happy.”