Blog

August 9, 2024 - HighGround was pleased to have four interns with us this summer. We recently sat down, fireside, to learn more about our Accounting intern, Geonna Waddell, and her experience working at HighGround.

Where are you from? What school do you attend, and what are you studying?

I am from Houston, Texas. I recently graduated from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with a bachelor’s in accounting. This fall, I’m beginning my master’s in accounting at Texas A&M University – Texarkana. I played basketball at UMHB and will play my final year while at A&M-Texarkana. 

What brought you to HighGround?

I met [HighGround Director of Human Resources] Carol Nichols at a job fair and felt like she was the sweetest person ever. I did a speed interview with her and then asked if there was an accounting opportunity at HighGround. HighGround is faith-based and has about 50 team members, and that felt like something for me. I’d had a previous internship but felt like I wanted something more, and this would give me more experience to determine what I want to do after school.

What all did you do in your time here?

I did four projects with different HighGround teams: accounting, account management, operations, and records. On one project, I used Dynamo to locate K-1s from fund managers to provide to our auditor, Grant Thornton. Another project was to collect the tax identification numbers of our nonprofit client organizations. I gained more knowledge about Excel and learned how to use macros. I did a lot of research on tax and fiduciary responsibility, learning in which cases to file a 1041 or a 5227. I also organized the filing system for the bank statements we receive.

What have you learned in your time here? What’s been your biggest takeaway?

When I found out I was going to be presenting to the whole HighGround team, and the interns and I got together in a conference room to go through our presentations, that was a great time I won't forget because we all shared our thoughts and gained knowledge from each other. I’ve had opportunities to present at school and was able to use those speaking experiences in a work environment. I used feedback I've received from professors to implement here in my presentation. 

What is a favorite moment from your time at HighGround?

My favorite experiences were having lunches with various departments. The different personalities I got to witness and the company culture – it was great. That’s the biggest thing I take away from here. 

We focus on strengths at HighGround and utilize the CliftonStrengths assessment. What are your top five strengths?

Mine are Futuristic, Achiever, Relator, Focus, and Restorative.

I got to know myself a little bit better in the sessions with our Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. Futuristic resonated with me; I like to plan for the future. Each strength has a potential downfall, but there are ways I can work to avoid those. I’m very focused. I’m an achiever who loves writing things down to check them off as I accomplish them. These strengths definitely helped me with the projects I was doing and my time management at work.

Which of the HighGround core values resonates most deeply with you and why?

I'll say Integrity because that's basically about treating your clients with respect and honesty. It applies to the office, as well. Everyone here treats each other with respect and honesty, and that's an environment I like to be in.

How do you like to spend your time? What are your hobbies or passions?

Playing basketball, watching movies, going out to eat with family and friends, and having great conversations.   

What does the future hold for you?

I'd like to become a Certified Public Accountant, so I’ll be studying for that designation. Once I obtain that, I’ll probably work for a tax or advisory company to get more experience. I plan to, one day, start my own tax and advisory business.