From Navy Ship’s Records to RSM: How One Student Veteran Found His Career in Auditing

Edilberto (Ed) DeJesus found his interest in auditing while correcting financial records aboard a Navy ship. Here, he shares how education, mentorship, and the right resources turned that interest into an RSM internship and a full-time offer.

My transition from military service to a career in accounting did not happen through one decision or one opportunity. It developed over time through education, mentorship, professional development, and learning how to use the resources available to me. However, my interest in auditing began before I ever entered an accounting classroom.

Finding Auditing Aboard a Navy Ship

I served in the United States Navy, where I gained experience in financial operations, inventory accountability, leadership, and working as part of a team to carry out the mission. During my time in the Navy, I handled bookkeeping and financial records aboard my last ship. I took a lot of pride in making sure the records were accurate, and that eventually led me to go back through prior-year records and correct discrepancies I found along the way.

When our records were later audited, my efforts were recognized for correcting discrepancies that helped save the ship money, and I received an award for the work I had done. What stayed with me even more than the recognition was how much I enjoyed the process itself. There was something satisfying about working through the records, finding something that did not make sense, and continuing until everything finally fell into place. It felt like completing a puzzle.

That experience was when I realized that auditing was something I could see myself doing after leaving the military.

Returning to the Classroom

The challenge was that knowing what I wanted to do and knowing how to get there were two very different things.

Going back to school was not something I was initially excited about. After years in the military, the idea of returning to a classroom surrounded by students much younger than me felt uncomfortable. But I also understood that if auditing was the career I wanted, education was the next milestone I needed to reach. I had spent my military career learning to keep moving toward the next objective, and I approached my transition in much the same way.

What I did not have was a roadmap.

Passing honors is a naval tradition in which sailors line the deck of their ship, known as “manning the rails,” to show respect as they pass another ship, a memorial, or a distinguished individual. In this photograph, we had just rendered passing honors to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, paying tribute to the sailors and Marines who lost their lives during the attack on December 7, 1941.

Building a Roadmap Through Resources

That is where learning to seek out resources became an important part of my transition. Veterans Service Officers helped me navigate veteran benefits and resources. Academic advisors helped me understand the educational requirements ahead of me. Career advisors helped me translate my military experience into something civilian employers could understand. FAU’s Military & Veteran Student Success Center gave me access to a community and resources designed for military-connected students, while Student Veterans of America (SVA) mentors and other student veterans helped me navigate the transition from military service through higher education and toward a professional career.

Each resource helped with a different part of the journey. Over time, what had started as an interest in auditing aboard a Navy ship became a defined career path.

The RSM Internship

That path eventually led me to an assurance internship with RSM. As I explored opportunities in public accounting, I was looking for an organization where I could continue learning, work alongside experienced professionals, and apply the skills I developed in the military in a new environment. Through my interactions with RSM, I saw a culture focused on development, collaboration, and investing in people, which made it a strong fit for the next stage of my career.

Throughout my internship, I felt welcomed by professionals who were invested in my development and willing to share their experiences and guidance. Even during busy season, members of my engagement teams and professionals across the office took time to answer questions, explain their approach, and provide feedback. When members of my immediate team were occupied, I could reach out to other supervisors and managers for guidance, which helped me better understand both the work I was performing and the profession as a whole.

I worked alongside professionals at different levels of the firm, performed audit procedures, received feedback, asked questions, and began learning how the concepts I studied in the classroom applied to actual engagements. I also learned more about the importance of understanding risk, communicating with an engagement team, and continuing to learn from the people around me.

What Carried Over From Military Service

There were aspects of the experience that felt familiar from my military service. Accountability mattered. Teamwork mattered. Being willing to learn mattered. I began to recognize that although I was entering a completely different profession, many of the skills and habits I developed during my military service still had value.

Over the course of my internship, I experienced encouragement, mentorship, and a sense of community. I saw that many of the qualities I developed through military service could carry forward into a new profession. These included accountability, adaptability, teamwork, and a willingness to learn. At the conclusion of my internship, RSM offered me the opportunity to return as a full-time Audit Associate.

I accepted.

Advice for Student Veterans

For veterans and transitioning service members considering their next chapter, my experience reinforced that starting a new career does not mean starting over. The skills and qualities developed through military service can continue to have value in the civilian workforce. I did not enter RSM knowing everything about public accounting, but I entered with a foundation I could build upon. RSM allowed me to develop that foundation in a new professional environment.

“Starting a new career does not mean starting over.”

Ed DeJesus, U.S. Navy Veteran

I am currently completing my Master of Accounting at Florida Atlantic University with a concentration in Accounting Information Systems, and I look forward to returning to RSM as a full-time Audit Associate in fall 2027.

Looking Back

Looking back, what stands out to me is that there was never one resource or person responsible for getting me from the military to where I am today. It was a combination of people and organizations willing to provide guidance at the right time and my willingness to seek out and use those resources.

I want to thank Student Veterans of America and the many individuals who continue to support veterans throughout their transition from military service to higher education and professional careers. Sharing these stories helps demonstrate the many pathways available to student veterans as they navigate their next chapter.

My path has taken me from military service to the classroom, to an internship at RSM, and now to an accepted full-time offer. I am grateful for everyone who helped me along the way, and I hope sharing my experience helps other veterans see what may be possible in their own transition journey.