Meet Ashleigh – A First Year NC MAC Student

Author: Ashleigh

Hey everyone, my name is Ashleigh and I am currently a student in the Jenkins Master of Accounting Program at the NC State Poole College of Management.

Having received my undergraduate degree in accounting from Poole College, choosing to continue my education here was a quick and easy decision. I was already familiar with many of the professors, was able to stay involved with things on campus I had done in the past, and was also able to continue cheering for the Wolfpack at various sporting events.

This year, the Jenkins Masters of Accounting Program has about 100 students, 57% of which are non-NC State undergraduates. In the MAC Program we often are assigned groups for our projects, so being a part of a group with a diverse educational background helps with our creativity and problem-solving abilities. Working in small groups and having class sizes of about 30 students each has allowed me to build relationships with the other MAC students and faculty early in the year.

Scholarship/Fellowship Process

In the spring, after being accepted into the Jenkins MAC Program, I had the opportunity to be considered for a scholarship or fellowship offered by select accounting firms and Poole College. On the first day of the selection process we participated in a networking session with the firms during which we learned about each firm, the industries which they serve, and their office culture. The firm representatives then decided which candidates they were most interested in and called those students back for an on-campus interview. After the interview process students were chosen to receive either a scholarship or a fellowship, which included full tuition payment as well as a full-time job position after graduation. Through this process I was able to learn about a number of different accounting firms – and I received a scholarship from one of them. I am currently about about a third of the way into the fall recruiting process, meeting with firms to discuss career opportunities. I’ll talk about that experience in another blog.

What’s Next?

In my upcoming blogs I will continue to describe the day in the life of a Poole College Jenkins MAC student. This includes the recruiting process, my study abroad experience, graduate summer classes, and the CPA exam.

It is my hope that this blog will answer any questions prospective Jenkins MAC students have about the program, as well as emphasize the importance of further accounting education in today’s world. Please feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section below. I look forward to hearing from all of you!