Accounting Major Highlight with Adam Mundle ’18

Picking a major can be hard, so to give some insight on what it is like to major in Accounting at Westminster College, we asked Adam Mundle ’18 (Parkway South/Manchester, Missouri) about his experience.

Why did you pick this major?

Accounting runs in my family as both my parents have earned their CPAs. I always liked math as a kid, and I knew I wanted to go into business, so I felt like accounting was a good way to bring my two interests together. Accounting is known as the language of business, so I feel like it should open the door for me to go into whatever career path I find to be the most interesting.

What do you plan to do after graduating?

After graduating I would like to work for a public accounting firm and begin working toward obtaining my CPA. I believe having that credential will help me advance faster in my career. Hopefully while working in the public sector, I will find a particular industry to be interesting and maybe go into management in that particular field.

How has Westminster (professors and courses) prepared you to succeed in this career?

My Westminster professors have been excellent in preparing me for the real world. One of the most important skills I have strengthened while taking the accounting classes here has been my ability to write memos. I know how important being able to write professional memos will be in the real world, so the practice has been very constructive in class.

Who is your favorite professor and why?

My favorite instructor is undoubtedly Professor Bartley. She always has a positive and energetic charisma that makes even the most boring topics seem as interesting as possible. Her experience working for a “Big Four” firm also comes in handy as she can answer many questions that I have about real-world accounting. She also has connections with firms, which helped me land an internship last summer. My time spent with Professor Bartley definitely has me convinced that accounting was the right major for me.

Can you tell us about your summer internship?

My summer internship with CliftonLarsonAllen included auditing in the public sector. I mainly worked on public universities in the state of Illinois. I got to examine a lot of internal controls and make sure that the universities were handling federal funds properly in their issuance of grants and financial aid. One of the most valuable experiences I gained from this summer was learning how to communicate professionally with clients and other people in the firm. Most of my time I got to work in the field, so it was very cool getting to see how public accounting firms interact with clients.