LELAND CARNEY
accounting graduate '24 outstanding grad

WHY WEBER STATE?   

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I was first exposed to Weber State during a high school tour. I liked the feel of the campus - it felt personable and connected. I came from a charter school, so that smaller, personable feeling was important to me. Weber State felt like a community. 

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WHY ACCOUNTING?   

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I started college during COVID, which was rough. But I always knew I wanted to go into business, and it helped to be a part of the business school. The business classes were great, and once I got into accounting, it came alive for me. I loved the structure and the rules. The professors made it fun. I knew accounting was the right fit for me. I've enjoyed the size of the classes at Weber - there were never more than 30 students in a class at a time, and so you always got personal time with the professors. They made sure you were learning, and they cared. They wanted you to work your hardest.

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FACULTY IMPACT   

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I loved Lisa Hopkins' classes - she made it fun. And Professor Hansen always had fun stories that made the lessons applicable to what we would be doing in our professions. I was also fortunate to go on a study abroad trip with Professor Smith, who taught me how to stand out and do well, and which classes to take, and how to take the initiative to impress potential employers. Each of the professors in the accounting department made a great impact on me, both during my education and I'm sure into my career as well.

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ADVICE   

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Get involved!  You'll feel the ambition come in and the connection, and you'll want to succeed. Desire follows involvement.

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WHAT'S NEXT   

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I will be starting the MTax program at WSU (at the Davis campus) in the fall. I have 2 internships coming up, one in the summer and one in the fall, that will give me experience in R&D and in programming. I also plan to sit for my CPA exams.

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