Accounting Intern
Hi! My name is Madison Hunter, and I am a senior at Kansas State University. This fall will be my final semester of undergrad, after which I will graduate with degrees in both Accounting and Economics. This summer I am interning with the accounting department under Ben McQuiston at the main office.
I came to Aurora Cooperative because I wanted to gain experience in private accounting. While I have experienced public accounting in the forms of tax and client accounting services, my end goal is to work internally for a private company. The reason I chose Aurora Coop over other businesses is, growing up in Aurora, I know numerous employees and customers in the community who have said remarkable things about the company. While I did not grow up on a farm, I have learned various things about agriculture throughout school and a tremendous amount in my time at the coop.
Over the summer, I have had the opportunity to do a variety of tasks. I have worked on multiple one-off projects such as building new Tableau reports, compiling DOT numbers and insurance forms for different vendors, and reviewing taxable income and sales tax reported to the state over the years. Daily, I look at item cost analysis to verify products are being transferred and manufactured at the correct price. I have also had the chance to go out to various locations and count inventory, giving me a better knowledge of the products the coop has to offer. Finally, I have assisted with the month-end process which involves looking at the margin analysis and financials.
As I stated previously, working at the Aurora Coop has greatly increased my knowledge about the ag industry. I have acquired a better understanding of all that goes into planting and harvesting, learned about the different divisions and their roles in the company, and most importantly, gained a new appreciation for the ag industry. I am looking forward to my last couple of weeks with the coop and grateful for the experience my time here has given me.