As an undergraduate, Swinehart worked as an audit and assurance intern with the Big 4 accounting firm Deloitte. He was later offered a full-time position with the firm and is anticipated to start after graduation.
Shortly after earning his undergraduate degree and beginning his graduate studies at Rider, Matt Swinehart landed a job offer from Deloitte, the Big 4 accounting firm, where he completed his summer internship. Aside from his academic achievements, Swinehart, who is also a graduate assistant in Rider’s Norm Brodsky College of Business, is exceptionally committed to service.
During his undergraduate years, he participated and held leadership roles in Rider’s Bonner Community Scholar Program, which pairs students with nonprofit organizations to complete service work in the local community. Today, in his graduate assistantship, he blends his passion for helping others and business acumen through his work with the college to advance their strategic initiatives on societal impact.
Read the Q&A below to learn more about Swinehart’s Rider's story:
What are you doing now?
Currently, I'm a grad student at Rider in the Masters of Accountancy (MAcc) program and a graduate assistant (GA) in the Norm Brodsky College of Business. As part of my GA work, I'm helping out with various projects to get a sense of how or if our professors are teaching their students about important topics such as social responsibility, ethics, sustainability and more in areas relevant to their respective majors as well as figuring out ways to incorporate these topics into the curriculum for students, whether in the classroom or through other ways.
In addition, I'm studying to take the CPA exams and plan to take the first one in December. After graduation, I will be starting my full-time job as an audit assistant with Deloitte.
The ability to take part in multiple student organizations on campus and the great professors at Rider, who do so much to help their students succeed, helped me grow my leadership skills.”
Graduate student at Rider University
What experiences did you have at Rider to help you prepare for where you are today?
I had the opportunity to work in several internships, but the one that ultimately influenced my decision of where to work full-time was with Deloitte, where I worked as an audit and assurance intern. I was placed with an amazing team and had the opportunity to complete real-time work and assignments for a major client. It was a great opportunity that led to a full-time offer with the firm.
In terms of resources, Rider’s Career Services and Success office provided me with assistance to ensure that I was well-prepared for my internship. Additionally, the various leadership opportunities I had while at Rider also greatly helped me to prepare to excel in my internship.
The Bonner Community Scholars program had a great impact on making me who I am today. I had the opportunity to volunteer and lead my fellow students.”
Graduate student at Rider University
How did Rider resources positively impact your success as a student?
The ability to take part in multiple student organizations on campus and the great professors at Rider, who do so much to help their students succeed, helped me grow my leadership skills.
The Bonner Community Scholars program had a great impact on making me who I am today. I had the opportunity to volunteer and lead my fellow students. My experience in the Bonner Program peaked during my senior year as an impact intern. In this site and site-based leadership role, I worked closely with fellow student leaders to get updates on their sites, teams and personal well-being, planned the spring service trip, handled issues, helped to ensure the program ran smoothly after the departure of our staff advisor, and more.
The work that I did with the program made me more confident in myself, increased my people and project management skills, and made me more aware of just how many people are in need in our local communities. I also made many great friends and connections.
What is the key takeaway from your Rider experience?
Being at Rider allowed me to be part of and help lead some great student organizations that bolstered what I learned in the classroom. All this helped me to succeed and be able to secure a full-time job.
In particular, I'd like to acknowledge my professors Dr. Margaret O'Reilly-Allen for being a positive influence and mentor for accounting students at Rider, and Dr. Kathleen Dunne for being a great advisor. I'd also like to acknowledge Nick Barbati (assistant vice president for student affairs) for his leadership of the Student Government Association (SGA) finance board and for being one of the staff members who took on being a supervisor for the Bonner Program.
Norm Brodsky College of Business
Named a College of Distinction, Rider’s Norm Brodsky College of Business is one of only two colleges in New Jersey with dual-AACSB accreditation. With expert faculty who bring their industry experience to the classroom and immersive and experiential learning opportunities, we help students to build valuable skills for the career they desire.