Finding balance Tylor Edison ’14 has a head for numbers and a heart for service. “We live in a So when an opportunity arose for the accounting major to intern with a nonprofi globalized world, t in Haiti, he jumped at the chance. Edison spent last summer completing and it’s important an internship with Extollo International, a nonprofit that focuses on construction of to understand this homes and vocational training. The group is teaching local Haitians construction to be successful.” skills while building a children’s village for 70 orphans on the island of La Gonâve. The experience was the perfect blend completed, Edison often helped with of service and accounting for Edison, construction, carrying mortar and who has longed to do mission work and digging ditches. The internship was improve the lives of others, but also unpaid, but Edison was given free room wanted an experience that included his and board, and he earned college credit intended profession. through Linfield’s Office of Career “This was the icing on the cake for Development. What’s more, he said the me,” said Edison, an accounting tutor and experience reinforced the importance of resident advisor at Linfield. “Not only did cultural understanding. I get to do accounting work, but I got to “When you travel, you understand help with a cause I really believe in and that people live differently, and they think is worthwhile. What I liked best is have different expectations and different that the Haitian workers learn skills they behaviors,” he said. “We live in a globalized need to create a better life for themselves.” world, and it’s important to understand Local Haitians work side-by-side this to be successful.” with trained carpenters, learning masonry, Mike Jones, professor of accounting carpentry, plumbing, electricity and and Edison’s advisor, called Edison a top construction management. During the level student. eight-week internship, Edison was “He’s very comfortable talking with responsible for tracking the expenses people outside his peer group, and that’s of the Haiti operation. a strength that will take him a long way That included daily reconciliations in this world,” Jones said. “Students who of the cash account, recording expenses, have completed internships have this organizing purchases and meetings, and real-world experience that adds to the Tylor Edison ’14 combined his interests in accounting and community service during an internship with helping to allocate materials to specific class and makes their questions more Extollo International in Haiti last summer. “Internships building projects. interesting. When they graduate and are a good way to understand what your goals “It’s difficult, because everything in start work, they have experience. It’s a are and what you want to do with your future,” Haiti operates on cash,” said Edison, who benefit for the classroom, it’s a benefit for said Edison. learned to barter and was introduced to the students, and it’s a benefit for Creole, the Haitian language. He kept the firms.” This summer, Edison will intern a journal of terminology to help him According to Jones, many Linfield at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a big-four communicate. “The majority of Haitian accounting students participate in accounting firm in Portland, and hopes to businesses don’t give receipts, so there’s a internships. As a result, the majority are eventually work for an organization with the lot of opportunity to miss things if you’re placed in jobs before they graduate, and opportunity to live and work abroad. not careful.” all are employed within six months of When his daily book work was graduation. – Laura Davis Winter 2013 l i n f i e l d m a g a z i n e - 2 1
Linfield Winter 2013
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