Nicole Zubovich
Class of 2019
Hometown: South Riding, VA
Undergraduate University: The Ohio State University
Class Year: 2018
Major/Minor: Operations Management and Logistics Management/Communications Technology
Employer: Deloitte
Emphasis: Experiential
Why did you choose to study at William & Mary?
I thought William & Mary was the best option because no other school really had something like boot camp. I didn't have an accounting background. When I started looking into Master of Accounting programs, I thought I didn't have the prerequisite work completed. Boot camp was convenient because it was condensed, and I could do it over the summer. William & Mary is also smaller in size. I went to Ohio State, which was such a big school, and I felt like I needed to go somewhere smaller for graduate school because it's more personal.
How was your experience in the summer boot camp?
I took three out of the six classes offered. The professors really wanted us to succeed and helped us a lot. It's so much information in two weeks, and at the time, it was overwhelming. But it was actually beneficial because when we started taking Advanced Tax and Advanced Audit in the program a few weeks after boot camp, it was still fresh in my mind.
What were some highlights for you during the program?
The Advanced Audit class was really helpful. The professor made us think critically, and she had really extensive experience in that field, so she mixed in her personal stories. Another highlight was the D.C. Trek. We got to go to D.C. for a weekend and went to the SEC, PCAOB, the PwC National Tax Office, and the Treasury. It was so cool to actually see these places and listen to people talk about their jobs, the things they've seen in their careers, and how they got to this point. We talked about all these bodies in class, so it was fun to be there and really understand their perspectives.
What were your employment plans?
I signed my full-time internship offer with Deloitte in Richmond in the fall and participated in the Integrated Winter Field Experience from January until March. I finished the MAcc program in May, had a little break to study for the CPA exam over the summer, and then in September, I started full-time at Deloitte in Audit.
