Chondra Herman, MAcc '17

Chondra Herman’s MAcc peers nominated her for four awards: Class Clown, Most Likely to Start Your Own Accounting Firm, Social Butterfly, and Busy Bee.

Meet Chondra yourself, and you’ll understand why. Far from what you might picture as a stereotypical accountant, Chondra balanced CPA prep and MAcc studies with playing basketball, dancing, and volunteering.

Fast Friendships

The depth of friendships, and their fast formation, came as a surprise to Chondra. “My classmates are genuinely amazing and I want to further these relationships in the future. That was a huge part of the MAcc program, and something I wasn’t necessarily expecting.”

Accountants love balance, whether it's in work or life, and MAcc students are no different. Whether it’s Friendsgiving, the official MAcc Thanksgiving celebration, or birthday celebrations, a trip to the apple orchard, the MAcc formal, or just spontaneously hanging out, there is always an opportunity to balance studying with socializing. These activities stamp lifelong memories into a quick one-year master’s program.

Digesting a challenging curriculum while studying for the CPA is a tough task — but the right environment makes all the difference.

“I was fascinated by the classes and the material. The professors are so passionate about what they’re teaching it made me more excited to learn from them.”

Professor Robert Totte was a particular favorite. “I voted for Professor Totte for the Teacher Excellence Award. He did an amazing job teaching tax, which was a very difficult subject for me. He was always friendly, passionate, and caring, and more than willing to meet with students to go over the material. I’m really excited he won the award.”

EY Symposium

Ross is known for experiential learning — and MAcc students have the ultimate opportunity to engage outside the classroom with the EY Accounting and Public Policy Symposium in Washington D.C. Chondra’s class met with U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, as well as representatives from EY, the SEC, the IRS, and the FBI.

In Chondra’s case, it opened her mind about a potential future career path.

“I didn’t know how working at a Big 4 firm would compare to working at the FBI or the IRS. The sessions at the EY Symposium really allowed me to understand the possibilities and made me aware of opportunities I may want to pursue in the future.”

Moving On

After graduation, Chondra relocated to the Windy City to work at EY in Fraud, Investigation and Dispute Services.

She’s confident Michigan Ross has given her the tools she needs to thrive throughout her career.

“I am prepared to handle whatever is thrown at me. I have a broad understanding of everything accounting, and I have an advantage just knowing how to ask good questions — the right questions to get the job done well.”

Chondra offers this advice to future MAcc students. “Enjoy it while it lasts. There’s a lot that happens in a short time, from academics, to social events, to the CPA, to your personal activities.