Katherine Conroy is a current student in CBE and our first student of the CBE Star Student Spotlight! She is currently double majoring in Accounting and Business Administration with tracks in Business Analysis and Project Management. Initially, Katherine wanted to be a forensic psychologist, but chose accounting to become a forensic accountant while still having the flexibility to choose other accounting career paths in the future. Katherine shares that “Business has always fascinated me, as a complex yet rewarding industry. Financial freedom is a significant goal of mine, and I truly feel as though joining the CBE was the best choice for me to pursue both my interests and long-term goals.”
This year, Katherine has received the Accounting Alumni Scholarship Award for her achievements. While she never expected to experience this success early into her college career, she is thankful for the opportunities that CBE presents in order to receive such an award.
The most valuable class that Katherine has taken so far is Accounting 201 with Dr. Rao. She shares that Dr. Rao is thorough with information, is always available to help, and sets up mentorships for students. Continuing on her experience, Katherine adds “My experience in the mentorship – along with the invigorating encouragement during one of the most rigorous courses of my first year – continues to serve as a driving force behind my motivation to persist in difficult courses. As an advisor, Dr. Rao helped me to set up a double major, something I never considered going into college. I feel prepared for each course in the major, and that I am truly equipped with the knowledge set I will need to pursue a variety of professions in the business field.”
When asked if she has any advice for other students, she shares “My advice to incoming Pre-Accounting majors would be to focus your absolute hardest in Accounting 201. This being the introductory course, it truly serves as the foundation for all classes to come, and that knowledge is crucial to your success in higher level classes. I found that reading and taking extensive notes on each chapter in the book was very helpful to myself, but definitely find your best study strategy and absorb as much of the information as possible. These core concepts are the hardest to grasp in the beginning, but once you have a handle on the foundations of accounting, the higher level classes seem much more doable!”
“A core theme in accounting that has stuck with me has been the concept that accounting provides value to companies beyond financial understanding and reporting. The ultimate goal of accounting being to provide proper financial information to external users – potential investors and lenders – provides an even deeper value to businesses” Katherine remarks.
Katherine hopes to keep a high GPA throughout her time in CBE as well as involve herself with clubs, internships, and mentorship programs with the intent to take the CPA exam upon graduation in 2024.