Cassandra Houle ’16 G ’17

I’ve loved accounting since eighth grade.

At that time, I did a project in one of my classes where I tracked my expenses for a month, and I really enjoyed it. That’s when I knew that accounting would be the right field for me.

Bay Path’s strong accounting program is what drew me to attend, and I felt the support of the faculty right away. My advisor, Professor Kara Stevens, encouraged me to do a 3+1 program—an accelerated three-year bachelor’s degree immediately followed by a one-year graduate program (MS in Accounting)—the first time I met with her, because she said she knew that I could handle the challenge. I wasn’t so sure, but I did it, and graduated with summa cum laude honors. The faculty pushed me to work hard, and encouraged me to push myself. If things go according to plan, I’ll complete my master’s degree this winter.

Over the past year as I was preparing to transition from undergraduate student to graduate student, I sought out opportunities to begin my career at a firm. I found an open position on Adelson & Company PC’s website and applied for it. About two months later, I was invited in for an interview with one of the partners. It went so well, I was asked back for lunch to meet the rest of the team. At lunch, I was offered the position.  

Professor Stevens and the Sullivan Career and Life Planning Center staff really helped me prepare by doing mock interviews with me. I learned what stories to tell, like how I got started in accounting, and how to point out some of my achievements in my internship at Norman Rockwell Museum that show my understanding of the field. They also reviewed my resume and helped me present my education and experience in a way that caught the attention of the firm where I’ll be going to work.

I’m looking forward to gaining work experience in an accounting firm and getting my CPA license. I hope to work my way up to partner one day. One thing’s for sure: you can achieve more than you think if you work hard, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.