HBE’s intern program has been designed to provide college students considering a career in public accounting with real-world experiences in audit, tax, and business advisory-related services. Unlike traditional intern programs, our intent at HBE is to provide our interns with immediate exposure to client-related work. Therefore, our interns come on board with many of the same responsibilities as our full-time, first-year staff. As a result, our interns have the comprehensive knowledge and understanding needed in order to make a well-informed decision about which career path is best for them.

In 2024, HBE welcomed our largest group of students yet to our comprehensive, paid internship program. These individuals have been working alongside our professional staff to gain real-world experience.

LANCE ACKER

Lance Acker, from Blair, NE, began interning for HBE in January of 2023. He is currently a Junior at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Hobbies: Watching Movies/TV shows.

Fun fact: I joined the rugby team at UNO, but tore my rotator cuff and had to sit out the last game of the season.

Why did you choose accounting? I have always been pretty good with numbers and I enjoy doing puzzles, so it seemed like an obvious choice.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would like to go to Australia or New Zealand.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? Super speed so I can save on gas money.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I enjoy watching movies and hanging out with my friends.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Always be happy, but never content.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I am excited to get a chance to apply all the knowledge I learned last year and have a successful tax season.

BEN BAUSBACK

Ben Bausback, from Omaha, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2023. He is currently a Senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Exercising, golfing, watching sports, spending time with family and friends.

Fun fact: I will never stop drinking the Husker Football Kool-Aid.

Why did you choose accounting? I enjoy the challenge that it brings and the variety of work that comes with it.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would like to go to Barcelona because I have never been out of the country.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? It would have to be teleportation.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? Watching movies and sports.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? I was told I wouldn’t know everything, so be a sponge to new information.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? Excited to meet new people and learn as much as I can.

SAM BECKER

Sam Becker, from Lincoln, NE, began interning at HBE in December of 2023. He is currently a Senior at Pius X High School.

Hobbies: Golf, watching sports, and going to Nebraska/Kansas games.

Fun fact: I’ve been a competitive swimmer since I was five years old.

Why did you choose accounting? I love numbers, math, and all the business classes I have taken, so it has always stuck out to me.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would go to a private island in the Caribbean because I like clear, blue water, beaches, and relaxing on vacations.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? My superpower would be time travel, so I could go back in time when I was a kid. I also could go to the future to see where my life may look like a few years down the road.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I enjoy sleeping in, lifting, watching a movie, and relaxing on the couch on days off.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? The best advice I have been given to always work hard because it takes you a long way in every point of your life and to have fun while doing it.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I’m most excited to learn about the accounting field and how a business works and functions during tax season.

LANDON BLAIR

Landon Blair, from Lincoln, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2023. He is currently a Senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Playing basketball, working out, spending time with friends/family.

Why did you choose accounting? I have always had a passion for money and how to best manage it. I hope to one day be in a position to act in an advising role for clients to help better their businesses.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I have always wanted to go to Hawaii. I have heard a lot of positive things about it and would love to learn how to surf there.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? I think I would want to be able to fly. It would be cool to see the world from that point of view.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? On an ideal day off, I would enjoy being active, working out and ending the day spending time hanging out with friends.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Don’t be afraid to try new things. It may be scary at first, but that is how you will grow the most as a person and learn new things.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? The opportunity to continue growing my knowledge in a profession I am passionate about. HBE always does a good job of pushing me to try new things to advance my knowledge in accounting.

DYLAN COX

Dylan Cox, from Lincoln, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Junior at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Hobbies: Watching sports, spending time with friends/family.

Fun Fact: I was a pitcher on the Nebraska Wesleyan baseball team.

Why did you choose accounting? I think my skills and personality will transfer well to this field.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? San Diego, because it has great weather and a lot of things to do.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? Teleportation.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? Sitting and relaxing on my couch.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Compete against yourself, not against others. Stop trying to compare yourself to other people because you will always find someone who is better at something that you do.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? Meeting new people and gaining valuable work experience.

THOMAS BENNINGHOFF

Thomas Benninghoff, from Overland Park, KS, began interning at HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Senior at Doane University.

Hobbies: Golf, watching football, and video games.

Fun Fact: I have made a hole in one.

Why did you choose accounting? I am a big fan of numbers and enjoy following them when looking at a company.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? Outer Space. I think that it would be cool to experience having no gravity.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? Be able to time travel because I think it would be cool to be able to go into the past or future and see all the differences compared to now.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I enjoy watching movies or tv and playing video games.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? When you feel like you have done enough get up and keep going.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I am excited to learn more about the process of tax returns and the experiences that I will gain throughout the internship.

JAKE EDINS

Jake Edins, from Pierce, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, golfing, hanging out with friends.

Fun Fact: I use my left hand for writing and eating, but use my right hand for everything else.

Why did you choose accounting? I had a really good accounting teacher in high school and always seemed to understand it pretty well.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would like to travel Europe.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? Teleportation.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school?Golfing with my friends.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Do what you want to do in life, not what you think others would want you to do.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? Learning more about HBE and learning more about accounting outside the classroom.

JOE HEIM

Joe Heim, from Lincoln, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Fantasy Football, Poker, and watching baseball.

Fun Fact: I have been in a full body cast before.

Why did you choose accounting? I have enjoyed all of the accounting classes at college, so I switched my major from Finance to Accounting.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? Buffalo, New York. Watch a Bills football game and tailgate with the fans.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? Teleportation.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? Sleeping in.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Hard work pays off if you are patient enough to see it through.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? Being able to learn alongside other interns, from professionals in the accounting field.

MATTHEW HOFFMAN

Matthew Hoffman, from Blair, NE, began interning for HBE in January of 2022. He is currently a Senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Riding motorcycles and baking bread.

Fun Fact: I have eight tattoos.

Why did you choose accounting? Both of my parents are accountants and I always enjoyed hearing about their work when I was a kid.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? Japan, they have rich history and beautiful national monuments.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? To make all financial statements balance and tie on the first attempt.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? Playing sudoku and reading.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? You’re not old until you stop looking to learn new things.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? Working with the people.

JACOB HOLZFASTER

Jacob Holzfaster, from Paxton, NE, began interning for HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Freshman at Creighton University

Hobbies: I enjoy photography, poker, golf, and hiking.

Fun Fact: A fun fact about me is that I graduated with nine kids in my high school class.

Why did you choose accounting? I chose accounting because from a young age I found a love for numbers and the people within the field. My first accounting class in high school showed me that accounting isn’t just a number crunching job, but it has many pathways to all sorts of fields within accounting that deal with numbers. The people found within the field are some of the most helpful and insightful people to work with.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would travel to the Patagonia region of Argentina. I have a love for the outdoors and photography and this region has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? My one superpower would be teleportation because I wouldn’t have to fly to travel or drive to work anymore.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I enjoy playing a round of golf with friends or family.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Always trust your gut. In every situation, exam, or pickle, the best place to put your trust is in yourself.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I am most excited about working with the personnel at HBE and gaining experience in the field of accounting!

ADAM HORNIK

Adam Hornik, from Lemont, IL, began interning for HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Sophomore at Creighton University.

Hobbies: Anything to do with soccer (playing, watching), working out, watching movies (more specifically action movies). Lastly, I love hiking.

Fun Fact: Polish was my first language and I started learning English when I was four!

Why did you choose accounting? At first, in high school I wanted to be a dentist, but my senior year I acquired a mentor (family friend) who is very successful and started out in accounting. With a couple of conversations, he gave me many rundowns of the career paths and how far you can go with starting in accounting.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would want to travel to Iceland and after that I would tour around the Scandinavian countries and then travel to southwestern Europe. Lastly, I would go to Casablanca, Morocco.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? I would definitely choose to have time-travel, so I can go back in time whenever needed.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? At home, I love to just spend time with my dog, Brutus, and go to the gym for a long time.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Although this may sound very basic, but it would be to keep going after your goals, especially how challenging things get.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? It would be 100% getting a kickstart on my career. I cannot wait to work with the professionals and clients.

JACK JOHNSON

Jack Johnson, from Omaha, NE, began interning for HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Hobbies: Fishing, basketball, and going to car events.

Fun Fact: I am leaving the country for the first time this year.

Why did you choose accounting?  I had a great teacher in my introductory accounting class in high school, and I fell in love with the subject.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would go to Italy because the food looks great, and my mom’s side of the family is from there.

If you had one superpower, what would it be?  I would have the ability to teleport.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I like to try new restaurants and play pickup basketball.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?  My dad told me to do nice things for people without expecting anything in return.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I am looking forward to getting closer to the new group of interns and learning the ins and outs of tax returns.

BROOKS LATIMER

Brooks Latimer, from Grinnell, IA, began interning for HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Junior at Creighton University.

Hobbies: Playing and watching sports, going to music events.

Fun Fact: I am an uncle to eight kids.

Why did you choose accounting? I have always been good with numbers, and my professors in Accounting have been great.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? Spain. I speak a bit Spanish and have a former foreign exchange family that lives there.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? Time Travel.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I enjoy watching sports, and playing basketball.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Always think about the impact your actions have on others and the future.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? Learning more about the tax process, and meeting current employees.

BRETT PIRAK

Brett Pirak, from Gayville, SD, began interning for HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Exercising, watching sports (NFL, NBA, Huskers), being outside.

Fun Fact: I am a twin. We are fraternal but look VERY alike.

Why did you choose accounting? I enjoyed my accounting classes. After a while, the material just clicked for me.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? Italy. I studied abroad this last summer in Barcelona which I really enjoyed. The food, weather, and history were all amazing. It would be great to be able to explore another country on the Mediterranean.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? While maybe not the most exciting ability, I think teleportation would be great! Being able to live, work, or travel anywhere instantly would be a lot of fun.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I prioritize lifting, so I would like to start the day by getting a lift in. My favorite thing to do after that (Weather permitting) is to go boating. My brothers and I have our great grandfather’s 1960 StarCraft that we take out on Lewis and Clark Lake in South Dakota.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? My mom, getting older by the year, has been saying “pitter patter let’s get at ’er” a lot lately. While corny, it helps stress the importance of getting things done.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I am looking forward to experiencing professional accounting to see if it is a good career fit for me. I am also looking forward to meeting and working with everyone at HBE. I have met a lot of great people already. I think they can teach me and help make me a great professional.

LOGAN SHIRK

Logan Shirk, from Lincoln, NE, began interning for HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Playing or watching sports, hanging out with friends, and cooking.

Fun Fact: I’ve been to Alaska.

Why did you choose accounting? My brother and dad were the main influences. My brother works at Deloitte, which is mainly where my inspiration comes from.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I want to travel to Greece. I’ve never been to Europe, and I would love to see Greece’s history.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? Time Travel.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I watch sports, especially my fantasy football team.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? It’s not about how hard you fall. It’s about how fast you can get up.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I’m most excited to meet all of my co-workers and start building those connections.

MATTHEW WATTS

Matthew Watts, from Omaha, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2023. He is currently a Senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hobbies: Golf, watching movies/shows, watching sports, getting outdoors, being with friends.

Fun Fact: My favorite food is lasagna.

Why did you choose accounting? I took a couple of accounting classes in high school and enjoyed all of them so I decided to continue on in college.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would travel to either Ireland or Iceland for the scenery.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? If I had one superpower, I would choose flight so I could get around easier and quicker.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? If the weather is nice, I typically like to either go to the driving range or play a round of golf with my dad. If it is snowy/rainy I will usually sit on the couch and watch either a show or movie.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Not to worry about forecasting your life, but to enjoy the present.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? Continuing to learn as much as I can about the accounting field.

EMILEE WEGNER

Emilee Wegner, from Blair, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2024. She is currently a Junior at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. 

Hobbies: I like to collect rocks, watch and learn about true crime and I have a real passion for cleaning.

Fun Fact: I have nine siblings, seven sisters and two brothers.

Why did you choose accounting? I took a class in high school that was an introduction to accounting and it just really clicked for me. I just like how everything has a place in the grand scheme of things.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would love to travel to Italy. My great grandmother is from Italy and I would just really like to immerse myself in the culture there. And try all the amazing food!

If you had one superpower, what would it be? I think I would pick the ability to fly. I would save so much money on gas and car bills.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? I usually just like to relax. Catch up on TV shows and just hang out with my cat and or husband.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? The best advice I have ever received would probably be to just be myself. I don’t change for others and I just like to be my true self.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I am really excited to learn some new things. I am also interested in the possibility of learning some auditing after tax season is over.

HUNTER WEIRICH

Hunter Weirich, from Beatrice, NE, began interning at HBE in January of 2024. He is currently a Junior at Midland University.

Hobbies: Weight lifting.

Fun Fact: I own four dogs.

Why did you choose accounting? I chose accounting because of the Principles of Accounting class I took my freshman year. I had a professor that made the content easy to learn and got me really interested in the profession.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would want to travel to Hawaii because of the fun things to do there like surfing and the warmer weather.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? I would want my superpower to be teleportation because I have never been a fan of long road trips and just want to make it to my destination.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off work/school? On my days off I like to go and golf with my friends.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Give everything your maximum effort so you won’t regret it later in life.

What are you most excited about regarding your internship with HBE? I am excited to see how the accounting profession actually works since this is my first accounting internship.