In turn with Tonishka “NeNe” Adams

Tonishka “NeNe” Adams is a staple here at the College of Business, i.,e.; she’s involved in everything it would appear. The accounting and finance senior from Whiteville is the president of the National Society of Leadership and Success, president of W.O.M.A.N., member of the College of Business (COB) Peer Mentor Group, and student advisor on the College’s Diversity Inclusion and Action Committee.

She’s the epitome of getting involved.

“I am an advocate student leader on campus with my various organizations, but in my free time, I enjoy dancing and traveling,” Adams says.

We recently spoke with her about her internships with Hope Restorations and Keiter CPAs, as well as her experiences at the College of Business.

“I heard about Hope from a close friend, Dejah McManus, who previously completed an internship through the SECU public fellows, and my tasks included grant writing, setting up of new software, and helping with the transitional housing. As for Keiter, I found this opportunity on Handshake, and my tasks included the basics of being an audit and tax associate.”

How have you applied what you learned in your classwork to this position? 

Classwork taught me how to complete assignments and reach out to my upper-level management to ask for help if I did not know how to do anything fully.

What was the most challenging thing you experienced during your internship, and how did what you learned in the COB help you overcome it?

It was a challenge to be confident in the work I was providing. However, COB showed me that I would be just fine as long as I give it my all and understand my environment and how it operates.

How did you apply what you learned in BUSI 1200, BUSI 2200, BUSI 3200 or BUSI 4200 to your internship? One of the main things I learned from BUSI is how to properly communicate and interact with others during a networking/ business event. Both internships provided opportunities for me to showcase what I learned when I attended business lunches.

What has this internship taught you about responsibility?

Both internships taught me to hold myself accountable for my projects. It’s my name on them, and I’m representing the company.

How will this internship benefit you?

Hope restorations provided me with experience in the non-profit space, and Keiter gave me a full-time offer, where I hope to use their guidance in my pursuit of a CPA.

Why would you recommend a business student take advantage of an internship opportunity?  

Both internships gave me offers based on my ability to communicate and my excellent work ethic. My experiences allowed me to build a network and career skills to take my journey.