Sydney Rohrer and Lauren Pfeffer are sophomore accounting majors, but that is just the start of things they have in common.

To start, they both live in the Twin Cities suburbs, Sydney in Woodbury and Lauren in Maple Grove. Both also had familial influences that encouraged them to check out Saint Ben’s. Sydney’s mother has a lot of Bennie and Johnnie coworkers, while a large part of Lauren’s family went here, including her grandparents, three of her uncles, and her sister. They both decided to attend Saint Ben’s after an enjoyable tour.

“Saint Ben’s was my first college visit, and then I checked out several other places. I came back to tour Saint Ben’s one more time and was amazed at how much more community was here. The tour guide was saying ‘hi’ to everyone we walked past. It felt like home,” Sydney explained.

Lauren was similar. “Due to all of my family coming here, I didn’t think I would. But I did a tour, saw the community and pretty campus, and learned about the strong accounting program, and I was hooked.”

Both Sydney and Lauren work for Saint Ben’s residential life, answering phones and emails and helping Bennies in any way they can.

Both have already either completed or lined up internships. Sydney is interning in the Saint Cloud office of CliftonLarsonAllen this spring, and Lauren will be working with the Saint Paul Saints this summer in the Game Day Experience area. Both have also lined up jobs. In the fall of her sophomore year, Sydney received and accepted an offer to intern with Deloitte after her junior year, while Lauren is currently weighing four internship offers.

Both will be studying abroad in London, although Lauren is going in the fall and Sydney in the spring.

Both are also heavily involved in clubs and service opportunities. Sydney is the marketing club treasurer, participates in Bennies in Business, mentors for Best Prep and their Minnesota Business Venture Camp, and is active in Square One and AKS, a service sorority. Lauren also participates in Bennies in Business and is the treasurer. Additionally, she engages in the walking club and Benedictine friends.

They are only partway through their fourth semester of college, and the experience has looked different due to COVID. However, they are still enjoying it.

“My favorite thing is the people I have met and the connections I have made,” said Sydney. “Also, the accounting program is kind of like its own community within the college. Older students want to help younger students. Everyone is so supportive of each other.”

Lauren marveled, “I have made so many connections in the accounting department – connections with students who have become friends, connections with profs, and now connections with employers.  The profs are so responsive.”

Sydney and Lauren will certainly leave their mark on our department, as next year they will both work as tutors and teaching assistants for the accounting and finance department. Incoming students will be in great hands knowing they can have Sydney and Lauren as additional resources in their own journeys!