5 Questions with Sarina Smith, Senior Staff Accountant
- What do you do at MCI?
I started at MCI USA in January of 2020, right before the pandemic started, and right after I graduated from Frostburg State with my MBA. My official title is senior staff accountant. My major duties are to do remittance for our full-service sales team and to do project reconciliations. So, basically, I make sure that our 32 associations get paid correctly by the 15th of every month. I also make sure that all the little financial things that constantly pop up are getting taken care of, such as AR adjustments, reimbursements, invoice creation, and accounts payable.
- What was the experience like pivoting so quickly in your first job to a remote position?
It was an insane time to start. I had three months of just trying to get acclimated and meeting everyone and then suddenly being forced to stay home and not go anywhere or meet anyone new. Personally, I was used to Zoom because my graduate school was all online, so we had to use it for both class and meetings.
Now that everything has calmed down, I go into the Baltimore office once a week, usually on Fridays when it’s quieter. It’s a nice balance being able to go in, but not having to be there all the time. I really appreciate that leadership trusts us to get our work done remotely and that there is so much flexibility for all employees. It felt like both the transition to remote work, and the gradual transition back to some in-person work have both been pretty seamless.
- What do you find interesting about accounting?
Accounting is like learning a language, the language of business. In a way, accountants are the unsung heroes of the business because if you can read the books, you can read the business. A business can’t run without an accountant because you must know what your money is being used for. In fact, a lot of businesses fail because they don’t have a good accountant. So, I feel like it’s a lost skill, and I like being able to procure and provide valuable information for MCI. But accounting is tedious, time sensitive work. So, it’s definitely not the easiest thing to do and it’s not for everyone, but a good accountant is invaluable to any business.
- What does your life look like outside of work?
I like to be outside and doing stuff. I like to hike, go river tubing, roller skate, go on picnics, etc. There’s a vineyard near me called Boordy that I love to go to that has really nice live music as well. But right now, the main thing that is taking up my time is wedding planning! We’re getting married in the fall, and before then, I have my bridal shower and bachelorette party in Lewes, Delaware, to look forward to!
- Congrats! How did you meet your fiancé?
My fiancé and I met in high school, although we didn’t start dating until later, so we’ve been together for nine years. But in high school our lockers were right next to each other, we sat next to each other in a class every year, and had the same homeroom. Our homeroom teacher is going to be the one officiating the wedding, and I’m very excited. It’s going to be so cute!
After the wedding, we’re going to go on a mini-moon in Luray, Virginia, and go see Luray Caverns and do some hiking and biking in Shenandoah National Park. I can’t wait!
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