Business, Management & Administration

Diamond Mitchell

Accountant

High School: Matoaca High School ('05)

Career & Technical Ed. Program studied: Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Legal Systems Administration (at Chesterfield Technical Center)

Additional Studies/Training: NC Agricultural & Technical State University, Accounting Major

Summer Jobs Prove to be a Vital Part of this Student’s Career Growth

Diamond Mitchell has a real knack for accounting—but discovered that in a roundabout way.

In 12th grade, she went to Chesterfield Technical Center to take a Legal Systems Administration class. “It had an accounting part to it, “ explains Diamond, “and that’s when I became interested in accounting. The first semester taught you business things like contracts, torts, and other legal documents. In second semester, I had a chance to take internship with a local law firm. It started as a six-month unpaid internship, but then they brought me on as a paid employee.”

Two days after graduating from high school, Diamond began a summer job in the office of a major power company, and has continued her summer employment there as she attends college.

Diamond has discovered that those summer jobs have contributed directly to her career skills. “I’ve worked doing bill servicing, accounting, and collection calls…I’ve learned invoicing and time entry.” They’ve also helped her define her interests even further: “I like numbers, and things like time entry and auditing let me deal a lot with numbers.”

Entering college, she realized that her high school CTE work had equipped her with a solid foundation.

“It really helped me a lot. When I started my business environment class in college, I found out that I already knew a lot of the material!”