Accounting Alumnus Brandon Harris

In this video, alumnus Brandon Harris describes how the personal involvement of his professors helped him prepare for the job he currently has.

Video Transcript

Brandon Harris: I learned that accounting is so much more than just numbers. It’s people relations, it’s team building, it’s client interactions. I think that’s what Lerner College helped me realize early on – that it’s not just about a calculator being your best friend. It’s developing people skills, time management, team management, leadership. Coming into UD and into Lerner School of Business, they showed you, essentially, all the things you could do with numbers in the business field, whether it’s accounting, whether it’s finance.

Brandon: Hey, professor.

Professor Gillespie: Brandon!

Brandon: At any level, whether it was freshman or senior, I felt like professors were always available for one on one time should you need it. I wasn’t just a number, I wasn’t just a statistic here. I was actually part of a UD family. Professor Gillespie was always helpful, because anything you felt that you might want to do, he showed you and provided the resources to help you get there.

Brandon: But I’m definitely grateful, professor, for all the advice, for all of the guidance.

Professor Gillespie: If anything that I said or did helped you get to where you are now, I’m happy for that.

Brandon: My parents went here. My dad was an accounting major, and my dad had Professor Gillespie, which I think is hilarious. It shows his legacy here. So I think that I was definitely prepared, but nervous for my internship at Ernst & Young. I knew that UD gave me the foundations and the tools I needed to succeed. At the end of my internship I was offered a full time position with Ernst & Young. I definitely feel grateful here for the Lerner School of Business here at University of Delaware. I feel like they take a special interest in you as a person. They don’t point out a direction for you, but they take your ideas and your thoughts and concerns and help you find your own way. They’re here just to provide the tools and the resources that you need to get there. So I’m definitely grateful.

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