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Name:
Matthew Stout
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Residence:
Avon, Indiana
Graduation Year:
2002
Major:
Accounting
Minor:
Finance
Why did you choose SJC?
The atmosphere and the attitudes of the people I
met on campus were the ultimate reason I chose SJC. I was recruited to run
cross country and track for SJC. I hadn't heard much about the school, but
once I was able to see the campus and meet people, I knew I wanted to be
there. The idea of being able to jump right into the Accounting program
was also exciting to me, because if accounting wasn't going to be right
for me, I wanted the opportunity to change my major with relative ease.
As a student, what were you involved in?
I ran cross-country and indoor/outdoor track for
four years. I also spent some time serving as a Senator for Gallagher Hall.
During my senior year, I completed an internship with Del Principe and Allie,
an accounting firm in Rensselaer, one of the founders being Accounting professor
Bill Del Principe. My duties included proofreading tax documents and updating
company data to assist the accountants during tax season. What are you doing now?
I am an Accountant at BKD, LLP, the seventh largest
accounting firm in the country. I work on the audit side of public accounting,
which is the function that allows us to "opine" on our clients' financial
statements. My clients are mainly financial institutions in the Midwest,
and they range in size from small community banks to large, publicly-traded
companies. Also, I recently passed the Certified Public Accountancy exam
and will soon be a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). How did SJC prepare you for the "real world"?
Though I whined daily about the Core Program when
I was at SJC, the range of knowledge and the academic discipline it provided
me has been invaluable in the professional world. It certainly helps to
be knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, because when talking to company
partners and clients, subjects outside of the accounting discipline often
come up, and having a broader base of knowledge allows you to avoid being
"pigeon-holed" into a certain field of study. Also, when you're in a job
interview, current-event issues and other general topics are often brought
up, and Core prepares students to be able to feel confident in those situations.
It's those intangibles that you need to carry into the "real world." At Saint Joseph's College, I also received personal attention from my professors. They helped to guide me to the right career path and prepared me for the world outside of SJC. I still keep in contact with them, and they are always ready with advice when I need it.
