Julie C. Gricol ‘08 Memorial Scholarship

Photo of Accounting major Kayla Schlachter

Lerner College accounting major Kayla Schlachter, UD Class of ‘24, is this year’s recipient of the Julie C. Gricol ‘08 Memorial Scholarship. In the following Q & A, Schlachter talks about her experiences as an accounting major at UD.

Lerner: How did you decide to pursue accounting as your major?

Schlachter: When I was younger, all of my uncles were accountants, and even though I didn’t know what it was, I would tell people that I was planning to become an accountant. Fast forward several years and while I still didn’t have a good handle on what accounting was, I knew I wanted to have a “professional office” lifestyle. So, I took my first accounting class and fell in love with it. The accounting major is pretty small so everyone quickly gets to know each other. Several of the students I’ve met in my accounting classes are my best friends. The benefit of having a tight knit group of classmates is that we can work on projects together, study together, and push each other to succeed.

Lerner: What was the best class you took in college, and why?

Schlachter: Business Law (ACCT 350) was my favorite class – it was impossible to leave that class in a bad mood! I especially found it interesting to learn about the legal background under which firms operate.

Lerner: What types of summer internships did you have? How did they enhance your learning experience?

Schlachter: This past summer, I had an internship at a brokerage firm (StoneX). I rotated among different projects to become familiar with the reporting process, regulatory compliance and other internal accounting tasks. I had a very positive experience, and I plan to join the firm full time when I graduate. I will be training with the CPAs in the firm for the necessary practical experience so that I can get certified myself.

Lerner: How have you surprised yourself while in college?

Schlachter: I didn’t always challenge myself to the fullest in high school, so when I got to UD and became an accounting major, there was a bit of a shock in terms of workload. But, I persisted and put in the time and effort to study and I was able succeed in one of the most challenging majors in the college.

Lerner’s Wendy Smith Recognized as 2024 Highly Cited Researcher

Portions of this article originally appeared in UDaily. It is published with permission. Three University of Delaware professors — Yushan Yan, Wendy Smith and Kelvin Fu — have been named Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate, the analytics company, for demonstrating...

Lerner Welcomes New Faculty: Rafi Turitz-Sweifach

This year, the UD Alfred Lerner College welcomed several new faculty members into its community. Rafi Turitz-Sweifach is a visiting professor of operations management; he spoke with Lerner about his professional background and what inspired his research focus. Lerner:...

UD’s Lerner College Recognized by The Case Centre Impact Index

For the first time, the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics has been ranked No. 45 on The Case Centre Impact Index. The Case Centre Impact Index is an annual ranking of organizations based on the global reach and impact of their...

Lerner Welcomes New Faculty: Yushan Liu

This year, the UD Alfred Lerner College welcomed several new faculty members into its community. Yushan Liu is an assistant professor of management information systems; she spoke with Lerner about her professional background and what inspired her research focus....

Local Students Hear Leadership Lessons at Engaging SYLP Event

The enthusiasm was evident right from the start. Nearly 300 middle and high school students in grades 8-12 packed into the auditorium at the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall on the morning of October 15 and were greeted by Siegfried Youth Leadership Program...