September 19, 2023
Accountancy major lands presidential internship
By Liz F. Kay
Everybody needs good accountants — even the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
Penelope Tejada ’26, an accountancy major from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, was a paid intern in the accounting division of the Office of Administration for 10 weeks during the summer. She worked on the White House campus daily. Midway through the summer, she also helped with projects for the Office of Travel and Events.
It was Tejada’s first collegiate internship. She was searching for positions during winter break when she stumbled upon the listing on LinkedIn.
“I thought, ‘There’s no way I’ll get this, but I’ll just send in an application,’” she said.
Tejada applied before the February deadline. In March, she reached the final stage of the process and fulfilled security eligibility requirements, which included a short interview. By late April, she learned she had been awarded a spot in the program.
Then she needed to figure out where to live. With the help of staff at the Providence College School of Business and the Chirico Career Center, she secured housing at American University.
Living in Washington required her to learn to navigate new aspects of urban living, such as commuting daily on the Metro or by bus.
“I got to see a lot of the adulting aspects of life that I had never seen before,” she said. “I’ve never been away from Rhode Island for so long.”
Perks included volunteering for the state arrival ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and working on the South Lawn at the White House’s Independence Day celebration. Interns were also introduced to other government careers through a speaker series and toured the National Archives and U.S. Capitol.
“I started June 5, and it was the best 10 weeks of my life,” Tejada said. “I met so many amazing people and I learned a lot more about the public sector, but also what it’s like to navigate an office space and explore the nation’s Capital.”
While working for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, she gained experience with tasks that are common at other accounting internships, such as reconciling records and reviewing financial transactions.
“I got a better understanding of how accounting really does tie back to everything,” Tejada said.
She also practiced general office skills, such as learning how to multitask while working on two teams and how to navigate a hybrid working environment.
“Towards the end of the summer, I was surprised about how much of an impact interns have,” Tejada said. She is grateful for both teams she worked with and appreciates her fellow interns for making her summer so memorable.
The experience also gave her an opportunity to connect with alumni based in Washington, such as attorney Andre Owens ’85, a partner at WilmerHale and a college trustee.
This academic year, Tejada is one of three PC students selected to participate in College Leadership Rhode Island, a career exploration and leadership development program designed to encourage students to build relationships within the state.
She is a Michael J. Berkeley ’85 Business Excellence scholar. The Berkeley program offers mentorship and enrichment for students from groups underrepresented at the business school.
Tejada serves as secretary of the college’s chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants, treasurer of the Association of Latino Professionals for America chapter, and a student leader on the business school’s DEI Committee. She is a mentor for Horizons, a program that supports multicultural students throughout their PC years. As an incoming first-year student, she participated in Transitions, which helps multicultural and first-generation students get acclimated to college life.
In addition, she is a resident assistant in McCarthy Hall.
Tejada encourages students of all majors to apply for internships in the Executive Office of the President. The 250 undergraduate and graduate students who were interns last summer were from a variety of backgrounds, she said.
“If you think about it, the government has many different components in place to support people nationwide. Whether you are interested in politics, on the pre-med track, or in business, there are opportunities for you,” she said.
Tejada’s general advice for success at Providence College was to try new things and get involved.
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because you don’t know what is on the other side,” she said. “If you told me in February that I would be in D.C. for the whole summer, I would be shocked.”
“It’s pretty cliché but believe in yourself and just never stop learning because knowledge will always carry you through,” Tejada added.
