Young Professionals Add New Members

Kendall Hurt '22, accounting, marketing and finance
Strategic Engagement Advisor
Heritage Federal Credit Union

Favorite memories at USI:
Some of my favorite memories at USI revolve around interacting with prospective students. Whether I was leading groups of new students as a Student Ambassador or assisting with interviews on Merit Scholar Days each year, I always enjoyed sharing why I chose to attend USI and sharing its advantage with others.

How have classes at Romain College of Business helped you in your career?
RCoB has small class sizes that focused on project-based work, which encouraged collaboration and interaction among students/professors. Both are important skills to have when starting your career, and my classes gave me the confidence to share my thoughts and opinions when working with others toward a common goal.

What advice would you give seniors on making the most of their last year of college and preparing for their careers after graduation?
Internships!!! As a student with three areas of study (accounting, marketing, finance), I had to be very intentional during my time at USI to figure out which career path would suit me best. I was fortunate to land 5 internships as a student, which ultimately helped me figure out what I wanted to do as a professional. Through each internship, I was able to explore different industries and professions, along with learning how to conduct myself in the workplace.

What is one of the biggest misconceptions about accounting as a career choice? Has working in accounting been different than you expected?
One of the biggest misconceptions of a career in accounting is monotonous, compartmentalized work. In reality, private accounting (specifically in the banking industry) exposes you to all facades of the company – from annual budgeting and reconciling invoices, to reporting for company executives and forecasting growth plans.

What skills do you think are most essential for being successful in accounting?
From my experience, the most essential skill to have as a student is the ability to learn and adapt. As a student or new graduate, you are not expecting to know everything – but it’s important to be able to take instruction and learn from the training you receive on the job (and retain the knowledge and processes learned).

What are you most looking forward to as a member of the Accounting Circle’s Young Professionals?
I’m looking forward to meeting and interacting with the students. I landed my first job after graduation through networking at an Accounting Circle event. I met the infamous Mike Carroll (CFO at Heritage Federal Credit Union), who eventually interviewed and hired me upon my graduation. I hope to provide this same opportunity to other students as a Young Professional advisor for the Accounting Circle.

Fun fact about you:
I’m a certified scuba diver.

Emily Kendrick '15, accounting and finance
Controller
United Leasing and Finance

Favorite memories at USI
My favorite memories of USI are the fun social activities held on campus that I could enjoy with my roommates and friends within walking distance, singing in the Women’s Choir, and having the opportunity to take elective courses in things I enjoy such as volleyball and piano.

How have classes at Romain College of Business helped you in your career?
They prepared me by the basics of knowing how to research problems, think critically in different situations, and being willing to try and learn new things that may be outside of my comfort zone. Being involved in introductory CIS courses and accounting information systems courses introduced me to things I never thought I would be involved in before my career and now have assisted in implementing process improvements using technology many times over the course of my career.

What is one thing you wish you would have known in college?
Ask more questions outside of the homework or lectures. I wish I had took more time to connect with professors or other classmates interning during their studies. I think it would have helped find ways to connect what I was studying with how it applies to real-world examples.

What advice would you give seniors on making the most of their last year of college and preparing for their careers after graduation?
Become involved in programs or organizations that USI offers, such as Toastmasters and APS Club. It’s something I regret that I wasn’t more involved in during my time at USI as I think it would have helped me strengthen some soft skills that I had to work on once I began my career. It also opens the door to connections with others either already in the accounting workforce or those entering it at the same time. It’s great to have others that you are well connected with in the same field to discuss various current changes in codification or best practices or the next up-and-coming thing.

What is one of the biggest misconceptions about accounting as a career choice? Has working in accounting been different than you expected?
A major misconception about accounting is that it’s boring and numbers all day. Sure, we spend a lot of time looking at and analyzing numbers, but every day comes with a different agenda is rarely boring. Despite doing some tasks consistently, decision making and changes in the current market can change how you complete those tasks. Learning how to incorporate the ever-changing world of technology has been the most interesting opportunity that integrates with the accounting work we do every day. It’s different than what I had originally expected, but definitely in a good way. I appreciate having a team to work with on problems as they arise or when looking into new ways to report our financial findings and also having opportunities to improve our processes company-wide.

Generally speaking, what are some of your favorite, and least favorite, accounting-related duties at work?
My favorite tasks are when I get to research and reconcile accounts; I like to problem solve and figure out the puzzle. It can sometimes be overwhelming when new GAAP changes arise, and I don’t know how we’re going to handle the adjustments. I am learning to embrace outside resources and admit when I don’t understand something.

What skills do you think are most essential for being successful in accounting?
Attention to detail and willingness to problem solve are a couple basic keys to becoming successful in an accounting career.

What are you most looking forward to as a member of the Accounting Circle’s Young Professionals?
Being able to become involved with others who enjoy the Accounting field as well as working with young people who are trying to figure out what they would like to do once they graduate.

Fun fact about you:
I love to paint and read in my free time and travel when I can. I have visited Maine, Washington, and Canada in the last year and look forward to where my next trip takes me!