Mackenzie Sullivan '26 Internal Audit and Financial Advisory Intern

Mackenzie Sullivan '26 (Accounting) was an Internal Audit and Financial Advisory Intern at Protiviti in Phoenix, AZ.

They talked about different housing options but I already live in the same city so I moved back home during the summer for the internship. The office is very close to ASU and I’m sure there are plenty of decently priced options very close for the summer!

What was the process for getting this internship, job, or summer experience? 

I was granted the opportunity to interview during my admissions with excellence to Eller with one of the recruiters for Protiviti. Through our meeting he really enjoyed our conversation and set up a time for me to interview the next week.  

What was a typical day like?

I would come into the office everyday and work on testing controls for different engagements. I would sit in on walkthroughs with people on the executive board for my clients and other high level external engagement teams. Hearing how conversations are held between business professionals was very pivotal to my learning experiences. 

What was your favorite part of the experience?

I had the opportunity to travel to Utah and get to go onsite for one of my clients. I got to practice interacting with clients in person and handle things much quicker than I could through an email. Every conversation was a learning opportunity as long as I paid attention. 

If you worked on a big project, please describe it below:

(I’m not permitted to share a lot of information but I’ll discuss what I can). During the summer I worked on a number of different engagements and different types of industries. I was testing a multitude of controls and working on the admin side of things to help improve the efficiency of different engagements. 

What did you find most challenging?

The most challenging thing was trying to understand that it is okay that I do not know everything. I am here to learn and ask questions and everyone I worked with understood that. 

What did you learn?

I learned how conversations are held in the workplace and how to deal with difficult people. On top of that I got to experiment with different accounting softwares such as Visio. 

What advice do you have for other students looking for a similar experience, or advice for future students to be successful?

Never be afraid to ask questions and always be yourself! Be sure to advocate for yourself and ask to try things you think you have an interest in! Take any opportunity you can to learn something new everyday. 

How did Eller prepare you for this experience?

Through my different accounting classes, especially 461 I was able to have a strong understanding of the basics in accounting in order to apply that to what I was working on.