KPMG Job Awaits Accounting Student

As an accounting major during his undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida, Christopher Rolle wanted to jumpstart his career as a certified public accountant by starting graduate school immediately. He also wanted to try something completely different, having spent his whole life in Florida, so he thought he’d try out the Washington, D.C., area for its history, culture and even its unpredictable winters.

When he was accepted at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, he was thrilled. With an internship at KPMG under his belt, he felt prepared at Maryland Smith. “A lot of the work had been comparable to what I learned in my internship, and it gave me greater appreciation for accounting in general,” Rolle says. “In graduate school we are able to do more hands-on, real-world types of things.”

One valuable experience was a class in which he forecasted an entire company’s accounting using its financial statements, balance sheets, income statements and cash flows. “That was a really cool project because it gave us perspective from beginning to end,” he says. “How they do them quarterly and report them to the SEC. It was very eye-opening to see how it actually works in the real world.”

Along the way, Rolle says his desire for something different was satisifed at Smith. He enjoyed leaving his comfort zone and befriending students from all over the world, despite some initial cultural and language barriers. “I can speak a little Chinese now,” he quips. 

He also appreciates meeting representatives from different companies who are available between classes. He says networking with colleagues and professors was valuable, too. “It was great to talk to like-minded people and getting to know the professors and the program,” he says.

After graduation, Rolle will return to KPMG with a full-time position.

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