Pur suing a Higher Pur pose

An aspiring Ph.D. aims to help shape the future of the profession through higher education

BY JULIA ARIEL-ROHR, CPA

Ididn’t know what it meant to be an accountant when I chose to major in accounting at DePaul U niversity

Rather, I knew there were a lot of numbers, and that appealed to me Having always loved school, I naturally excelled in my coursework, and to the surprise of my family, I actually enjoyed accounting theor y During this time, I also got my first taste of teaching

Ser ving as a Supplemental Instruction leader, I attended introductor y accounting classes and organized weekl y review sessions for students struggling with the content I enjoyed working with students to better understand accounting theor y I liked learning how to translate sometimes-obscure ideas into practical ones, and I enjoyed seeing my peers succeed I had never felt like I belonged somewhere as much as I felt I belonged at that university, with those students I loved the collegial atmosphere, the halls filled with professors, the studying, and the knowledge acquisition It was the per fect cultural fit So, it is only natural that I would eventually make my way back to higher education

Like many accounting program graduates, I kicked of f my professional career in an accounting and finance rotational program at a For tune 500 company As I gravitated towards the technical aspects of accounting, I made the decision to leave corporate accounting to join Grant Thornton’s not-for-profit audit practice Although the pace of public accounting was an adjustment, I valued having a multitude of clients, and experiencing the diversity of practice and interpretation of accounting guidance I appreciated the big-picture issues and having the resources to research complex and gray areas that my clients were faced with This is the intellectual stimulation I crave; however, I wanted more time with my curiosity, more balance in my life, and more time developing others

Af ter a year at Grant Thornton, I divulged to my coach par tner [mentor] my dream to earn a Ph D and become a professor To my delight, he rallied the audit practice to suppor t me Perhaps this was par t of Grant Thornton’s cultural mission to “bring your whole self to work,” but with that suppor t, I was able to attend the American Accounting Association’s annual conference in 20 17 (the event for academic accountants all over the countr y) and was allowed flexibility during busy season to travel the countr y for graduate program inter views This kind of employer suppor t can change the lives of employees And with fur ther suppor t from the Accounting Doctoral Scholars Program a scholarship program suppor ted by more than 1 00 organizations, including the Illinois CPA Society, aimed at addressing the huge shor tage of accounting faculty my dream of becoming a professor is becoming a reality

In Fall 20 18, I will embark on my Ph D journey at the University of Wisconsin – Madison It has been hard work to get here, and will continue to be hard work, but I couldn’t be more excited to get star ted or more grateful for all the suppor t I’ ve received along the way If you have ever had a little voice in your head telling you to pursue academia, share it with the people around you, you will be surprised by the response! As an accounting professor, I will get to teach and mentor the next generation of accountants and help shape the future of our profession, and you could too