Then & Now: Gridiane Pygeol

Gridiane Pygeol:

Her journey from Girl Scouts to Grant Thornton

In 2010, Ms. Pygeol was a Finance Intern for Girl Scouts of Nassau County in New York, representing the Community Fellows Program (CFP) at Adelphi University. As a Sophomore, she implemented Girl Scout Leader Training techniques for scout leaders and collaborated with outreach teams to create marketing collateral for the county’s programs. Gridiane's passion for serving the underserved continued to strengthen, and so she applied to intern again at Girl Scouts of Nassau County, however in the Accounting department. Sure enough, in 2011, Gridiane was reconciling financial documents, facilitating Girl Scout Leader Training workshops, and assisting summer outreach program participants with educational activities, as an Accounting Intern. As a current Auditor for a non for profit Accounting company, Grant Thornton LLP, Gridiane believes the CFP helped her "better understand the auditing process for this type of industry." Furthermore, she stated:

"By interning at the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, I was able to understand more about the nonprofit industry. Being exposed to different sides of a nonprofit organization and working in the accounting department, enabled me to understand the financing portion. I also worked within the outreach department and learned about the different marketing techniques used to recruit new girl scouts. I made an impact within the organization and different communities by assisting within the outreach program. The Community Fellows Program gave me the opportunity to help girls of all ages. By implementing the outreach program, I was able to help girls build upon their self-esteem, communicate their concerns, and create new friendships. I also had the opportunity to help the Girl Scouts organization form new relationships within different communities."

Impressively, Gridiane continued to stay at Girl Scouts in 2012 as a Fund Development Assistant. Since then, she has held several positions in the finance and accounting fields, and has graduated with her Master of Business Administration degree. Presently, Ms. Pygeol is a Commercial Auditor for Grant Thornton LLP. She feels that as a result of her participation in the CFP, she was able to develop the skills necessary to succeed throughout her career. Gridiane also reported being able to build upon her leadership qualities, communication skills, and team development abilities, following her CFP internships. For those of you who are thinking of applying to the CFP next year, Gridiane offers some advice: "I would say this is an amazing opportunity that all students should take advantage of. It will give them a real world experience that will better prepare them for their career. The program has impacted my career." 

Panthers, be proactive like Gridiane and chase your dreams! There is no time like the present to get involved, immerse yourself in experience, and enjoy the ride. For the current CFP's, continue to do what you do best and serve your communities. For those of you pondering a paid Summer internship for 2016, stop pondering and start thinking of the communities you want to impact and skills you want to sharpen and attain. Have a bright weekend, everyone, and continue to follow all of our shining stars on social media!