An informal accounting internship in the summer after his first year of college instilled in Brooks Seidman an interest in expanding his business knowledge. After attending an open house at Owen, he decided to apply to the Accelerator Summer Business Immersion program.

He knew it would be fast paced and immersive. (It was.) But the program also surprised him in several positive ways. “The exposure to consulting and business fundamentals brought me to the program initially,” says Brooks, who is majoring in economics at Vanderbilt. “But since entering the program, I have found the opportunity to stretch beyond what I thought I could do in terms of high-intensity, professional work.”

While the Florida native was expanding his business knowledge, he also learned some new things about himself. “I did not anticipate how close I would get with my group mates,” Brooks says, “because I tend not to make deep connections easily. But you get close very fast. It’s one of the best things about the program.”

On some days, he notes, he spent up to six hours working with his team members. And that didn’t count evenings when they went out to dinner off campus or, in one of his favorite memories, hung out and played pool together in the game room of their dormitory.

One other self-discovery: Brooks realized he’s interested in someday owning his own business. “I had thought about it before,” he says, “but listening to and speaking with real entrepreneurs who have done Accelerator in years past opened my eyes to how much I want to be an entrepreneur myself.” 

He counts that knowledge as his “biggest takeaway” from the program. “I learned a lot about working in teams, different types of leadership styles, and all sorts of professional skills and concepts,” he says. “I feel much more prepared to get a job or an internship than I did coming in.”