Students and staff from Blue & Co. gathered in Newport, KY last week for the annual Summer Leadership Program 2023. This two-day retreat served as an opportunity for students and staff to network and share their experiences working in the accounting industry.
Day 1 Recap of the Summer Leadership Program 2023
The event kicked off with a rambunctious game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to help everyone get to know the other.
Once everyone settled in after Rock, Paper, Scissors, students were broken up by state and got to spend some time circulating with the different staff members at Blue.
Students had an opportunity to spend some time asking questions and learning about how their internships can be tailored to fit their interests, whether that means focusing on tax, audit, or business advisory.
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Following the breakout session, students went through a DiSC assessment activity with Nancy Rife and Jan Green from Blue's People Experience Team.
The DISC assessment is a tool used by the Talent Development team at Blue as a behavioral self-assessment tool. The assessment results are designed to predict job performance and help students learn about how they might interact with others.
Following the DiSC assessment, students participated in another break-out session, this time learning about life at Blue. Afterwards, they enjoyed lunch and then were broken up into teams for a fun team-building activity.
Teams used canned goods and other non-perishable food items to construct a Putt-Putt course in the conference room. Judges of this challenge had to play each team's section, then rank the team's based on the course design and how well it met the theme.
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After the winners were announced, the food was boxed up and donated to Be Concerned, a Covington, KY food pantry.
Following the course build, two panels were held where students asked questions and learned about Blue's Diversity Equity, & Inclusion Council, the Blue Foundation, and the Talent Development programs. Students also were able to hear from Interns, Staff, and other CPAs about their experiences in the industry.
Needless to say, it was a full day, but we were just getting started!
After dismissing to check-into the hotel, students and staff met at Velocity Esports for dinner, networking, and best of all -- games!
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Day 2 Recap of the Summer Leadership Program 2023
On the second day, students arrived to breakfast before jumping into the first team-building activity session. Students rotated between two different stations that focused on sharpening their communication and teamwork skills.
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The day wrapped up after another Q&A session, lunch, and some closing remarks.
The staff at Blue had a blast meeting with all of the students and they are already starting to plan the 2024 event!
Interested in joining us next year? Sign up here to join our waitlist for the 2024 Summer Leadership Program. Students who register for the waitlist will be the first to be notified when the full program application becomes available.
About the Summer Leadership Program
Blue’s Jumpstart Summer Leadership Program is a two-day, expenses-paid retreat where college students (freshmen to juniors) can learn more about our company and public accounting roles.
The leadership program is a great opportunity to:
- Network and build your understanding of the accounting profession by hearing from industry professionals.
- Speak with Blue leadership and recent graduates about how they chose their career paths and got to where they are today.
- Participate in team building and social events with students from different schools.
- Learn what companies like Blue & Co. are looking for in candidates for internships and full-time positions.
To learn more about our internship program or when we will be visiting a campus near you, click here.