#WorkFamily Alumni bring the Saint Leo community to work
Saint Leo University SPIRIT.SAINTLEO.EDU 5
With most Americans spending the majority of
their waking hours at work, colleagues can
start to become like family. There are work
wives and work husbands, brothers and
sisters, and even second moms and dads in the workplace.
For some Saint Leo alumni, the definition of a work family
takes on added meaning. At PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC),
many alumni continue to experience Saint Leo’s family-like
culture by working together at the Tampa location of the
multinational professional services firm, which focuses on
audit and assurance, tax, and consulting services. The relationship
started with one student about 10 years ago.
Dr. Passard Dean, professor of accounting and finance at
Saint Leo, was looking for a way to provide more internship
and job opportunities for students. When one student was
able to secure a full-time position at PwC after graduation,
he asked if she would be willing to help recommend other
qualified graduates for jobs.
“All it took was one student who was willing to help
make Saint Leo a better place,” Dean said. “Because of her
willingness to help, countless students have benefited.”
Today Saint Leo participates in a unique internship
program with PwC. Dean and Dr. Daniel Tschopp, professor
of accounting, work with recruiters from PwC to identify
students for its internship program, which often leads to
full-time employment after graduation. Each year about
eight to 10 seniors participate, receiving exposure to
accounting work in a variety of sectors.
Kara Ennis ’18, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree
in accounting this spring, is one of them. After graduation,
By Marie Cirelli Thornsberry
her internship led to a full-time position working with several
other Saint Leo alumni.
“It is nice because we were able to come into the organization
and already know some familiar faces,” Ennis said.
“I didn’t feel out of place. We have each others’ backs, and
everyone is so willing to help.”
Ashley Dudney ’18, who also graduated with Ennis and
received a bachelor’s degree in accounting, works next to
Ennis in the office. She has a Saint Leo alumna as her supervisor,
Johana Beltran-Cantu ’15.
“Having a supervisor who went to the same school as
you is helpful,” Dudney said. “She knows the curriculum we
learned and understands what it was like to go through the
program. It’s also inspiring. I look at her and think, ‘That
could be me in two years.’”
Beltran-Cantu, who has been with PwC for three years,
agrees with Dudney about the value of working with other
alumni. She says there’s something special about Saint Leo
graduates when it comes to work ethic. They stand out in
a crowd.
“If you earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Saint
Leo, then I know you had to work hard to be where you are
today,” Beltran-Cantu said.
While they may all have different job responsibilities
at PwC, Ennis, Dudney, and Beltran-Cantu all agree that
working with other alumni adds a special touch to their
daily work.
“It’s very much like a community, which is a Saint Leo
value,” Dudney said. “We’re all used to living the Saint Leo
values and that translates to how we work together here.” •
My Saint Leo is
#workfamily Left: A group of students studying accounting interned at PwC in the spring. Right: Left to right,
Kara Ennis ’18, Ashley Dudney ’18, Johana Beltran-Cantu ’15
/SPIRIT.SAINTLEO.EDU
