Accounting alumna scores her dream job with the San Diego Padres
San Diego native still applies skills learned at SDSU in her job with the Padres’ front office
Sherine Abu-Rahma (’18, Accounting/BMACC) saw an ad on LinkedIn that caught her immediate attention: The San Diego Padres were looking for a staff accountant. It was an opportunity that was too good for her to pass up.
“I grew up watching the Padres and was excited about the opportunity to be able to use my knowledge and love for accounting on behalf of my hometown team,” said Abu-Rahma, now an accounting manager for the organization.
Abu-Rahma’s road to her dream job began with an aptitude test during high school which indicated that she should consider a career in accounting. Since accounting aligned with her interests and talents, she enrolled at San Diego State University because of the outstanding reputation of the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy and because she wanted to stay close to home.
As she worked toward her BS/MSA degrees, Abu-Rahma joined SDSU’s Beta Alpha Psi organization and participated in the school’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, where accounting students (certified and trained by the IRS) prepared income tax returns free of charge for low-income taxpayers and — in the case of SDSU — foreign students and scholars.
“The VITA program not only offers our students IRS training, but also provides them with the real-world experience employers seek in internship candidates,” said Jeff Wang, director of the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy. “Additionally, the program gives our students the opportunity to serve the SDSU community by assisting our international students and scholars complete and submit their income returns in an accurate and timely manner.
“I learned a lot about individual taxation from the VITA program and it helped me to prepare for my internship at Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg,” said Abu-Rahma. “I ended up accepting a full-time position there after I graduated.”
Going for it
But when a position with her favorite MLB team opened up, she had to go for it.
Now in her third year with the Padres, Abu-Rahma’s responsibilities include oversight of the team's finances, but also involve managing funds for non-baseball activities.
“I work with the department heads within the organization and the Padres Foundation to prepare their annual budgets and explain variances between the budget and the actual results,” she said. “I’m also preparing financials for oversight of other functions at Petco Park like concerts, private events, holiday parties and community events.”
Abu-Rahma credits SDSU with helping her build a strong foundation of skills that continue to guide her work for the Padres.
“At SDSU, I learned professional skepticism, questioning and verifying the supporting data, all of which are very important attributes in an accountant,” she said. “I apply those important lessons in my career every day.”
