Bridging the Gap Between the Classroom and Career Readiness for New Accounting Graduates

Stephanie M. Bryant, PhD

Many years ago, I graduated with a shiny new degree in accounting and landed a coveted job at a then–Big Eight accounting firm. I was an excellent accounting student, in part because I was a nontraditional student who went back to school later in life. We nontraditional students usually take our studies very seriously because we understand what a privilege it is to have that seat in the classroom. Looking back, I distinctly remember scanning the room and thinking, “Do these students know how lucky they are to have the opportunity to learn?”