AUBURN – Nicole Laliberte has always liked numbers.

So when she moved here from Florida last year and enrolled at Lewiston Regional Technical Center, she thought the accounting program sounded promising. A field trip confirmed it.

Teacher Sonia St. Pierre took Laliberte and a half-dozen of her classmates to Austin Associates to see an accounting firm in action. Two months later, it’s Laliberte who’s in action.

“She’s been working here since late January and it’s been great,” said Steve Austin, president of the accounting firm. “One of the CPAs told me she’s a genius.”

Laliberte, 18, is just glad for the opportunity to work in an environment where she hopes to make her career. She contacted the firm after the field trip to volunteer to work as an unpaid intern. But Austin – impressed with Nicole’s motivation and maturity – offered her a job instead.

Now Laliberte is trying to master the company’s paperless filing system, learn software programs and help prepare tax returns. She generally works 15 hours a week at the firm, on top of classes.

“I enjoy it,” she said. “Numbers have always been my thing.”

She plans to graduate LRTC this spring, then enroll in the accounting program at Central Maine Community College, where she’s already completed three courses, thanks in part to the Early College for ME program. Once she has her core requirements filled, she plans to transfer to a university program and complete her bachelor’s degree, then go for her CPA certification.

“Since I live on my own, I can save a lot of money that way,” she said of her tiered approach to higher education.

Laliberte said she felt right at home the first time she met the Austin Associates staff.

“The people are nice and friendly. They made me feel comfortable right away, and usually I’m a little nervous,” she said.

Austin said it’s been a two-way street. He’s hoping the firm can continue to help Nicole as she pursues her education, perhaps ultimately culminating in a full-time job.

“To attract and keep accounting students is one of the biggest challenges in our industry,” said Austin. “The big firms grab the top students right out of school,” sometimes lured by $60,000 starting salaries.

The industry is expected to continue growing, and so the need for accountants will grow right along with it.

“It’s a good profession where there is a lot of demand right now,” he said. “But it’s a field where you either really like it or you hate it. Nicole really has an affinity for it.

“And boy, is she driven.”