Accounting and Criminology Major
I chose Heidelberg because of the support here. I knew going into college that I had a lot of plans. I wanted to graduate early, I wanted to study abroad, and I wanted to really get the college exprience. Originally, Heidelberg was not my choice. It was too close to home, which made me feel like I wouldn't really get a chance to branch out. I couldn't be more wrong. Even before I got to Heidelberg I was receiving so much support and encouragement and I was being exposed to so many different opportunities. Luckily, a family friend really pushed me to look into Heidelberg more, and I am so glad that I did. My time at Heidelberg has been some of the best years of my life.
I majored in accounting and criminology because I had an idea of what I wanted to do when I graduated high school. My goal was to be a forensic accountant. I thought that majoring in both accounting and criminology would give me a unique experience, for it would teach me how to be an accountant as well as teach me what I need to know about crime.
A major challenge I encountered while at Heidelberg was graduating in three years. I was able to tackle this challenge with the help of my advisors and professors. There were a lot of times when something came up that prevented me from graduating. When this happened, the help that I received was overwhelming. Despite the hardships, my advisors and I were able to set up a plan for me to graduate in three years. In addition to the typical conflicts of scheduling, I also decided to add studying abroad on top of an already difficult task. The School of Business, especially, was so instrumental to me being able to take a semester abroad. They not only worked with me on my schedule, but they really supported me taking this opportunity. While there were definitely some obstacles, after a lot of meetings, schedule mapping, and hard work I was able to overcome this challenge and graduate in three years.
The best opportunity I discovered at Heidelberg was studying abroad. In the fall of 2023 I was able to spend the semester in Glasgow, Scotland. It was one of the best experiences of my life. When I was looking for schools, study abroad opportunities were something that I asked about. Since Heidelberg has a lot of study abroad partnerships with other schools, it was much easier to study abroad here than most other schools. My study abroad experience was so amazing and definitely the best opportunity I discovered at Heidelberg.
Outside of the classroom I was involved in the Honors Program, P.A.C.E., Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminology Honor Society), Delta Mu Delta (Business Honor Society), Tennis Club, and Fencing Club. I was also a part of Enactus during its first year at Heidelberg and I was a member of the 2024 Intercollegiate Ethics Competition team.
The thing I'm most proud of about my Heidelberg accomplishments is my research projects. At the 2023 Student Research Conference, my project partner and I presented our research, titled "Diplomas and Delinquency: How Education Influences an Individual's Entrance into Crime," for the Hammel Award. We ended up coming in third place, which was so cool and really got me interested in research. I then continued to do research and did a research project with Dr. Sarah Lazzari for my junior experience in Criminology. Our study focused on the impacts of incarceration on mental health, and the study was titled, "Mental Health or Mental Hell: Lingering Impacts of Incarceration on Mental Health." I was really proud of the work that we did, but the most fulfilling part was when I went to present our work at the 2024 Student Research Conference and had such a large turnout. My favorite part of presenting research is bringing awareness to important topics.
One faculty or staff mentor or advisor who impacted my 'Berg experience is Professor Scott Miller because he was always so supportive. I've come to learn that while the material that we are learning is important, so too is how the professor interacts with the students. If I was ever having a bad day and I had a class with Professor Miller, I ended up leaving class with a smile. Beyond his cheering-up abilities, Professor Miller always supported his students by giving us opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. We could attend conferences, he worked to get professionals in the accounting profession to come visit Heidelberg with job opportunities, and he even led some students to present at an ethics conference (he was not the advisor when I presented, Professors Chapman and Woods were the advisors). One reason really stands out why Professor Miller was so impactful on my ‘Berg experience, and that is how much his students mean to him. When he taught at Heidelberg he would mention how he keeps in contact with his past students, but it didn't really occur to me the lengths that he goes to support his students until he left Heidelberg. Even from Kent, Professor Miller still finds ways to come back to Heidelberg and to make sure that his students are doing well.
My advice to new freshman would be to try new things – even things that you think you might hate and especially things that scare you. I remember freshman year, during Labor Stay weekend, there was so much to do, including a zipline. I have a fear of falling, so I didn't really want to go on the zipline, but my roommate did, so I decided to go on with her. It was so much fun, and I still remember it now when I am about to graduate. When I was about to present at the Student Research Conference, I was so scared I was shaking. Now, those presentations are what I am most proud of as I wrap up my undergraduate experience. When I was sitting in the airport, waiting to leave for four months, I almost called my family to come pick me up because I was terrified. Skip forward four months and I didn't want to come home. The things that scare you can lead to some of the best memories. Do the things that scare you.
My favorite Heidelberg memory is freshman year in the dorm rooms, our downstairs neighbors were being really loud. To try and get their attention, we tied a donut to a string and hung it out the window. This was also in King, so it was unbelievably hot so everyone's windows were open. Well, they didn't notice immediately so we just left it hanging out the window in case they saw it later. While we were talking, some guys walked by and noticed the donut. They came up and ate it.
My plans after graduation are to find full-time work as an accountant. I am leaning more toward a career in audit and eventually working my way toward forensic accounting. While I am working I am going to be pursuing my MBA at Heidelberg.