Sam Alawadhi '27 Used His Accounting and Applied Computer Science Majors to Intern at One of the "Big Four" Student Profile

Why did you choose Point Park University?

I chose Point Park because it was a small school in an urban setting. This set me up for success by letting me build strong relationships with students and staff I’m more likely to see often because of the small-campus feel. Being an accounting major, Downtown is really convenient, with small, regional and Big Four firms within a 10-minute walk of campus, making it easy to network and attend events. Additionally, I got offered the best financial package by far from Point Park.

What do you enjoy the most about the Rowland School of Business?

What I enjoy most about the Rowland School of Business is the faculty. I have to mention the accounting and computer science faculty because they are real professionals with years of industry experience who are always willing to help students understand concepts and succeed in class, and they also set students up for careers after graduation through internships, networking and job offers. 

Why did you choose a double major?

I started as a computer science major my freshman year, but I had to take Intro to Financial Accounting because computer science was part of the business school. Amy Cesario, MBA, taught the course and strongly encouraged me to double major in accounting because I was doing well and understood the concepts. I knew nothing about accounting before my class, so I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

I also wanted to combine skills from both majors to move into a more specific, less competitive and better-compensated part of the industry. I completed my IT audit internship with Deloitte this past summer for that reason.

What was it like to work for one of the Big Four accounting firms?

Working for a Big Four firm wasn't what I imagined. First, there were multiple travel opportunities, which is very important to me. I spent my first week in Detroit, Mich., for specific training on the service line I was in. The following week, I attended Deloitte University, a leadership conference center in Dallas, Texas. During my time on the team at DU, we explored the 107-acre Deloitte-owned property, networked with 1,000 other interns from across the country, and learned more about what it’s like to lead at Deloitte.

Over the next six weeks, I worked with clients across different teams, which helped me see how teams operate and how different the work can look from client to client. I even visited a client on-site with my team during one project, which was an awesome experience. What I enjoyed most about the internship was that, even though you’re an intern for only eight weeks, your team wants you to succeed, absorb information and ask as many questions as you can to make the experience fulfilling. With all that in mind, I am pleased to be returning to Deloitte as a full-time Assurance Analyst in August of 2027.

Can you talk a bit about what you do as president of the Student Accounting Association (SAA) and your work across campus with the Campus Activities Board (CAB)?

As SAA president, I meet with the other officers (vice president, treasurer, secretary and social media manager) at the start of each semester to decide which meetings to host. We usually host one meeting per month, which can range from a big four firm presenting opportunities to a local firm providing free Chinese food to attending students. We try to diversify the firms and representatives who come in to show students how expansive the accounting profession can be. For example, we have had tax, audit, assurance, data analytics, cost accounting, financial planners and more come in to speak. 

I am also the Financial Coordinator of CAB, so I manage the large university-sponsored budget for all operations: programming, marketing and administration. I started in this role at the beginning of my junior year last year and continued this year. Programmers on CAB set up everything students see at events, like decorations, prizes and vendors, but I approve and purchase these items. In addition, I help staff CAB events in various ways. Although my role is more behind the scenes, I enjoy that it can still be student-facing. The CAB Executive Board includes ten other incredibly competent student leaders who inspire me to succeed in my role, and I highly recommend students join the General Board to surround themselves with an environment like CAB!

What are your career goals?

My long-term career goals include moving to either New York or Southern California and working in the entertainment business. I want to start my career in Pittsburgh while I study for the CPA exam, and once I pass, that will open up opportunities to move to one of those places because I think they are epicenters of creativity. I’d still like to work with creative individuals, such as in a role as an accountant, internal audit staff member or FP&A analyst for companies like A24 or Columbia Records.

What advice do you have for prospective Point Park students?

My advice to prospective Point Park students is to get involved early. This applies to both on-campus leadership positions and career-focused internships. Through on-campus leadership, I developed a completely new appreciation for Point Park. I got involved as a Resident Educator my sophomore year, which taught me a lot about teamwork, conflict management and community engagement. Although that position didn’t directly involve accounting, I learned transferable skills that will help me manage and work with a team in an accounting role.

Accounting internships start recruiting unusually early. I have seen applications from Big Four firms asking for sophomores to apply to an internship that would happen the summer before their senior year. Also, if you start applying and networking early, you have more room to learn from mistakes and overcome the initial fear of speaking with recruiters. If you follow that path, you can have multiple internships under your belt by the end of your senior year and a clearer sense of what you want to do in the future.

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More About: Rowland School of Business, Rowland School of Business Success Stories, accounting, applied computer science