Chase Bentley, a junior in the School of Accountancy(SOA), credits Harbert College of Business’s BUSI 2010 course for helping her land internships with a U.S. Senator and Ernst & Young (EY).

Washington D.C. internship 

According to Bentley, the mock interviews and other job-related essential skills covered in the course helped her handle professional situations like the interview that resulted in an internship last summer in the office of U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville.   

“Those experiences prepared me for the interview process and made me more confident in myself,” said Bentley, “and another big thing was dress.” 

Dressing the part was a big aspect of her internship which made Bentley grateful for Harbert’s professional guidance. Working in the nation's capital, every day was either business professional or business casual and Bentley knew exactly how to present herself.  

Working in one of three different areas for Tuberville’s office, Bentley gained experience in communications, front office management, and legislation—the latter being of particular interest to Bentley because of her desire to attend law school.  

“I wanted to go to law school, so I was very interested in how laws were made and what that process looked like,” said Bentley, who was ultimately influenced to study accounting by her parents who thought it was important to gain a business degree as an undergraduate.   

Regardless of her eventual career path, Bentley appreciates the internship with Tuberville, including the connections she made in his office and the friendships she developed by living with 17 other women interns in a Washington rental.  

From exploring the capital building, to meeting Senator Ted Cruz while giving a tour, watching the Senate in action, or talking to “Coach” Tuberville, and even seeing the coffin George Washington was originally meant to be buried in—secretly located under the star in the middle of the capital building floor—Bentley truly had a once in a lifetime experience.  

Big 4 accounting firm internship 

Bentley, who will work in EY’s audit division in the spring of 2025, learned about the internship at SOA’s Meet the Firms event.  

Though still open to the possibility of law school at some point, Bentley is increasingly focusing on accounting. She plans to apply to a few Master of Accountancy (MAcc) programs, including the MAcc degree in Harbert College, when she is a senior next year.  

“Taking my classes and everything, I enjoyed accounting,” she said, “so now I'm wanting to do accounting in the future.” 

Auburn Activities 

Bentley continues to gain valuable experience here in Auburn. Involved in Auburn Answers during her sophomore year, Bentley enjoyed helping students' voices be heard by joining the team responsible for bringing their suggestions to the attention of the Student Government Association in Auburn.  

Currently, Bentley is devoting most of her time to her role as a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader, where she attends an honors section of Principles of Financial Accounting, then makes worksheets for the course, and hosts study sessions twice a week for students in her section who may have questions.  

“I really enjoy it because you get to interact with a lot of people and really help people out,” said Bentley. 

Bentley regularly demonstrates her exemplary work ethic. In fact, Bentley was recently recognized as one of the Alabama State Excel Champions, which she achieved by performing well on an exam in a Career and Technical Information Analysis course.  

Both of Bentley’s parents attended Auburn, so she has been a life-long Auburn fan. She recalls coming to campus for football games and yelling ‘War Eagle!’ to random strangers, which made her realize she was always meant to attend Auburn.  

“I wouldn't trade my experiences at Auburn for the world,” said Bentley, “I've loved being at Auburn and I feel like Harbert, specifically my classes and getting to know different people, has made me feel more prepared for my future.” 

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The Harbert College of Business which is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Raymond and Kathryn Harbert's transformational naming gift, is a nationally ranked hub of undergraduate, graduate and continuing business education that is inspiring the next generation of business leaders. Our world-class faculty deliver unparalleled academic rigor in the classroom, while our research-driven scholarship advances thought leadership and best practice across business disciplines. The largest college on Auburn's campus, Harbert enrolls more than 6,900 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.