Emily Batchelor is no stranger to hard work. Currently a Masters of Accounting (MSA) student at the Bryan School of Business, she is also employed full time as a financial analyst at Pace Communications. Early on, she began laying the stepping stones to a successful accounting career. As a teen, Batchelor helped out at her parents’ automotive shop with invoicing clients and accounting duties, eventually earning some real-life business experience.
Soon after, she began college and earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting. She decided to pursue an MSA instead of an MBA because, “I wanted to learn more depth of knowledge about the field of accounting,” she says. She chose the MSA program because it seemed like a natural evolution from the undergraduate program, and to help her progress in her job at the time at Breslow Starling CPAs. She will graduate with her MSA in December 2018.
“The grad level accounting classes really helped to prepare me for the CPA exam, especially the audit and government accounting classes,” she explains. “I couldn’t have learned this information anywhere else. It was incredibly helpful to ask the professors questions.” She earned her CPA license in the summer of 2016.
To further expand her responsibilities and knowledge of accounting beyond her classes, she worked as an accounting assistant and tax intern before landing her first full-time job. All the while, the Bryan School’s Accounting Department served as her foundation and support. “The faculty is incredibly helpful and the recruiting program is outstanding. Lecturer Melissa Hershberger was essential in landing my internships and my previous job. Amanda Cromartie, Bryan’s MSA Program Director and Lecturer, also played a key role in helping me get a job with Pace Communications. I had two internships that eventually led to my full-time employment in public accounting at Breslow Starling. The socialization and connections that happen during the recruiting process here at the Bryan School are a huge part of this program. It’s also a great community. We did lots of project-based learning and team work that helps you learn the challenges and merits of working with different types of people and a foundation for working in a professional environment with clients.”
Batchelor also worked on her networking skills through her membership in the international honor organization Beta Alpha Psi, where she served as an officer and assistant vice president of community affairs. She recommends getting involved in alumni events that can help build and extend professional connections.
As she continues to move forward in her career, she has some advice for those considering an MSA at the Bryan School. “You can expand your knowledge through project work plus the program really helps to prepare you for the CPA exam and the profession. The faculty and peer support here is incredible. It’s such a short time in the program for a huge return on your investment. It’s worth it.”
