Traveling Tigers program helps Saunders students explore business careers and build connections with future employers

Rochester, New York – At Rochester Institute of Technology’s Saunders College of Business, students are discovering that learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Through an initiative known as Traveling Tigers, undergraduates are finding themselves face-to-face with potential employers, touring offices where they might one day work, and building connections that could lead directly to internships and jobs. The program has quickly become one of Saunders’ most talked-about efforts to give students an edge in launching their careers.

Traveling Tigers was created to address a challenge many students face: the gap between academic knowledge and the realities of professional life. While courses in accounting, finance, marketing, or supply chain provide a solid foundation, students often wonder how these lessons translate into an actual workday inside a corporate office. The program responds to that uncertainty by organizing structured visits to businesses across the region, exposing students to professional environments long before graduation.

In 2024, the program expanded in a significant way. Archana Jain, who chairs the Department of Finance and Accounting, began tailoring Traveling Tigers trips specifically for students with ambitions in her discipline. With support from Saunders’ advisory boards and local partners, Jain built daylong tours where participants visit three to four companies. Each stop includes a mix of presentations, facility tours, and candid conversations with staff.

“They can get a basic view of the culture of these companies, what it really means to work in, say, an accounting or finance firm,” said Jain. “They get to compare and see the differences in culture and expectations. They also learn about the pathways available to interns or new hires, like rotation programs. In just one day, they get a clear sense of what it means to work in the field.”

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These visits typically last two hours per site, giving students time to sit with human resources leaders, hear directly from accountants and financial analysts, and ask questions that matter to them. Rather than relying on classroom hypotheticals, they see how professionals approach real clients, navigate regulatory challenges, and adapt to technological tools shaping the industry.

The program has been warmly welcomed by companies themselves. Jain noted that after she shared updates from early visits on LinkedIn, multiple organizations reached out eager to host the next round of Tigers. For many businesses, the opportunity to meet motivated students is a rare advantage in an industry increasingly facing worker shortages.

“The accounting world is facing a shortage of talent, so these visits give employers a chance to meet students and showcase their culture,” Jain explained. “The companies go all out and roll out the red carpet for us. On one visit they even made special cookies to welcome the Tigers. It’s a good way for both sides to connect.”

Over the past year, Traveling Tigers has opened doors at well-known regional and national firms. Students have stepped into offices at Culov Wealth Management, M&T Bank, Delaware North, MMB+CO, Allied Financial Services, Freed Maxick, and PwC. Some of these trips have yielded direct results, with employers offering internships or even full-time positions after meeting students. In one notable case, a company ended up hiring five Saunders students after a single visit.

For Spencer Dennis, a third-year honors student from Webster, New York, the experience was life-changing. Originally intent on pursuing a finance path, Dennis found his direction reshaped after traveling with his classmates to several firms.

“In my first year here, I fully intended on being a finance major, hopefully to be an investment banker or financial analyst for a bank,” Dennis said. “Upon visiting firms with Traveling Tigers, I realized I am made to be a CPA and to pursue a career that starts in public accounting.”

That realization came into sharp focus when Dennis joined a tour of PwC’s Rochester branch. At the end of the day, he left with a company-branded hat, promising himself he wouldn’t wear it until he had secured an internship there. Months later, after meeting the same partner he had spoken with during the visit at an RIT recruiting event, Dennis interviewed and landed an offer.

Dennis now looks ahead to beginning his career with a Big Four firm. “I have a spot saved for an associate position in January, which is super exciting,” he said. “Traveling Tigers helped make that possible; it allowed for a student like me who puts in 100% of effort into things to capitalize on that opportunity.”

Such success stories underline why donors have rallied behind the program. Funding from the Sentinel Society has been critical in covering travel expenses, logistics, and other costs of the site visits. Their support has also enabled Saunders students to attend national competitions and conferences, broadening professional exposure even further.

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Jacqueline Mozrall, dean of Saunders College of Business, praised both the program and its benefactors. “Programs like Traveling Tigers, along with opportunities to attend conferences and competitions, ensure that our students gain meaningful experiences outside of the classroom that can shape their careers and futures,” she said. “Fueled by alumni donations, Traveling Tigers has been expanded, with discipline-focused visits also happening in hospitality, supply chain, marketing, management information systems and analytics. We are deeply grateful to our donors for investing in our students and making these transformative opportunities possible.”

The program’s future looks busy. The next scheduled Accounting Traveling Tigers event will take place October 21, with stops planned at Insero, Paychex, EY, and DeJoy & Co. Due to the hands-on nature of the trips, participation is capped at about 20 to 30 Saunders students, making the slots highly competitive.

Looking ahead, organizers believe Traveling Tigers will remain a cornerstone of how Saunders prepares its students. By exposing undergraduates early to the people, culture, and expectations of the business world, the program helps translate theory into practice, and curiosity into career plans. For students like Dennis, the journey has already proven invaluable, providing not just clarity but concrete opportunities.

For a growing number of Saunders students, stepping onto a company’s carpeted lobby with the Traveling Tigers is the first stride toward stepping into their own professional futures.