By Elaina Valente ’26
Alexandra Davis ’25 is exploring her passion for accounting this summer through an internship with Kaitlyn Cockcroft ’15, senior manager at Forvis Mazars in Greenville, South Carolina.
Davis, an accounting major from Blythewood, South Carolina, is gaining practical experience for becoming a Certified Public Accountant. She also is playing to her strengths.
“I have always had a knack for numbers,” Davis says. “I fell in love with accounting after taking Professor Lillian Gonzalez’s Accounting 211 class my second year at Wofford. That’s when I realized it was something I enjoyed and really wanted to do.”
Forvis Mazars’ Greenville office offers audit, tax and consulting services to clients in various industries, including financial services, construction, real estate, manufacturing and distribution, as well as the nonprofit sector.
With Cockcroft’s mentorship, Davis is learning skills to bolster her professionalism and technical proficiencies, as well as best practices for customer service and networking.
Davis also is learning from other coaches in the firm, including Chandler McCall ’16, a tax manager. Additionally, other interns like Taylor Pirttima ’24 are adding to Davis’ learning experience.
Cockcroft calls Davis a quick study.
“Alexandra has a great work ethic,” says Cockcroft, who completed her bachelor’s degree in Chinese at Wofford. “We always enjoy when Terriers intern with us because they are so driven and stand out among their peers.”
It’s all part of the comprehensive Wofford support system. Relatedly, Davis is thankful that Ben Cartwright, assistant professor of accounting at Wofford, encouraged her to apply. She says Cartwright keeps students informed about opportunities to network with alumni. Davis participated in a Meet the Firms event at Wofford. That’s where she met Cockcroft, who remembered Cartwright from his previous work with the firm.
Davis credits the Wofford accounting department – and especially Gonzalez ’91 – for preparing her to excel in the internship and beyond.
“I thought she was so amazing, and now she is my advisor and the person I talk to about everything,” Davis says of Gonzalez. “She helped me discover that accounting is what I want to do.”