MAC Graduate From Zurich Finds CPA Prep, Friendship at NC State

Updated on 5.5.2023

In November 2020, Noel Menzi made the 4,500 mile journey from Zurich to Raleigh, North Carolina. Returning to his birth country for an internship with Tecan, a global life sciences company with a subsidiary in the United States, Menzi planned for a brief eighth-month stay in the United States. But now, two and a half years later, he still hasn’t left – and couldn’t be happier with his decision to stay in Raleigh and join the Jenkins MAC program at NC State, from which he graduated on May 4, 2023.

“My parents are both Swiss, but I was born in Columbus, Ohio and we lived in the States for one year due to my dad’s job. When I was 14 months old, we moved to Switzerland and I grew up in a small town outside of Zurich,” Menzi explains.

“Because of my amazing experiences in Raleigh, I decided in the last week of my internship that I wanted to stay and get my master’s degree.”

“As an undergrad at the University of Zurich, I worked part-time in the tax department at Tecan, and after graduating, I got the opportunity to come to the States for an internship in global finance with Tecan’s subsidiary in Morrisville. I originally planned to go back to Switzerland after my internship to obtain my master’s degree, but because of my amazing experiences in Raleigh, I decided in the last week of my internship that I wanted to stay and get my master’s degree here,” he continues.

He secured a full-time position with Tecan US as a financial analyst and quickly applied to the Jenkins MAC program – and the decision, he says, was an easy one.

“During my first year in Raleigh, I lived with three undergraduate students from NC State who told me a lot about the university, showed me around campus and got me interested in NC State athletics. I also had a colleague at work who completed the MAC program and told me all these great things about it,” he says. “Today, I know my coworker did not exaggerate at all and that I made a great decision in choosing NC State. And although the MAC program has been challenging, I have learned a lot and have had a great time along the way.”

In particular, the program reputation and high CPA exam passing rate are two factors that sold him on the Jenkins MAC – and being in the program, he’s confident that he’s receiving the preparation he needs for CPA exams and for a successful career in public accounting and financial analysis.

However, it’s the connections he’s made and the community he’s built that stand out most.

“In the MAC program you will definitely make friends for life.”

“We have had several social events with the program. Last semester we planned a Friendsgiving together, just last week we went to DriveShack and next week we’ll have lunch together with the faculty,” he says. “So, as you can see, besides the studying and long nights working on group projects, we still have time to have some fun together. In the MAC program you will definitely make friends for life.”

Being able to cheer on the Pack at Carter-Finley and PNC with friends from the program has been a highlight, too. “In the fall, we went to all the football games, and now that it’s basketball season, we’ve been enjoying attending those together as well.”

As for the next chapter, Menzi is looking forward to staying in North Carolina, obtaining his CPA license and advancing his career.

“The current plan is to continue developing my knowledge and growing professionally – with the goal of being promoted to a senior position.”

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