Students gather in Lee University’s School of Business to hear panelists explore career opportunities in the accounting field
Lee’s School of Business hosted “Diversity in Accounting Careers,” a panel discussion for students to discover new options in the field of accounting. Panelists included accountants who are not taking the “normal” path of joining a CPA firm as a public accountant or who have moved on to different career paths.
“Our goals were to broaden our students’ views of what is possible with an accounting degree and to encourage them to use their accounting skillset in a way that will be fun for them,” said Dr. Beth Seymour, assistant professor of accounting and co-host of the event.
Panelists introduced career possibilities such as financial accounting for private for-profit companies, nonprofit companies, and state and local governments. Over 125 students participated in the event.
We were so grateful to have such a diverse panel of accounting professionals join us,” said Dr. Michaelia Black, assistant professor of accounting and co-host of the event. “The wide range of career paths and levels of experience gave our students a unique opportunity to expand their view of where their degree could take them in the future.”
Panelists included Sandy Frantom, director of accounting for Miller Industries Inc.; Joshua Jolley, CFO of Vairog US, LLC and Lee alum; Kayla Laymance, May 2023 graduate who starts an accounting career at Walt Disney World in June; Amy Newman, accounting manager for the city of Cleveland and Lee alum; and Jonathan Vecchio, director of accounting for Doorby Property Management in Chattanooga and Lee alum.
“I loved seeing the creative side of these jobs and how diverse they are,” said Megan Roberts, an accounting student at Lee. “It really gave me insight into my career research journey!”
The event was sponsored by Lee’s School of Business and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants.
For more information about Lee’s School of Business, call 614-8160 or visit
https://www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/business/.
The accounting panel