I graduated from Mizzou in the spring of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, and a Master of Accountancy with a Tax Certificate. From there, I left my hometown of Columbia, MO and moved to Chicago to join EY as a Financial Services Consultant.

Reflecting back on my Mizzou Economics experience, my most formative course was Econ 1014: Principles of Microeconomics with Dr. Michael Podgursky. I rolled into class at 8am which felt entirely too early to fulfill my economics requirement for my business major. Upon walking into the building, you could hear Dr. P blasting country music in the lecture hall down the hallway as students got settled in for class. Over the course of a few months and many econ jokes, I developed a strong interest in economics and the way it shapes our world. Fast forward to a few semesters later, I added an econ major and became a tutor and TA for Econ 1014, the place where it all started.

A piece of advice for students is to take time to nurture your interests and build relationships with professors, mentors, and peers alike. There is a big push to get everything figured out in college, and while it can be important to plan, some of the most impactful experiences you have may be the ones you didn’t plan for at all. This holds true for my Mizzou Economics experience which kicked off to the tune of a Johnny Cash song.

Finally, I’ll share my favorite econ joke, told to our class by Dr. P. Two economists walk past a jeweler’s window and see a beautiful, expensive watch. One economist turns to other and says, “I’d do anything to own that watch.” The other economist replies, “no, you wouldn’t.”