Sofia Riffel, BS’23, MSA’24, has known that she wanted to study accounting since seventh grade. Always one to be thinking and planning for the future, Sofia heard about the career path from a family friend and loved the idea of working with numbers.
Sofia graduated with an bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis and decided to add another year to earn both a Graduate Certificate in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) degree. Her academic goals were deeply personal.
“In my family, only one other person has graduated college with a bachelor’s degree, and that’s my grandfather. I have always felt grateful for the fact that he was able to create the lifestyle that he did for my father and my grandmother,” Sofia said. “I really respected that, and since my mother never got the opportunity to go to college, I really wanted to take what they had given me and go as far as I could. At the time, that meant earning the MSA and getting my CPA.”
Sofia could take graduate-level courses at undergraduate rates as part of the Graduate Certificate in Accounting program that fast-tracks a master’s degree for Kelley undergraduate students. Sofia says the experience of bridging the two degrees with the graduate certificate allowed her to explore different aspects of accounting, which led her to her future career in auditing.
“When I was going through the MSA, I took a lot of internal audit classes. I was really interested in the aspect of reviewing financial statements to check for accuracy and possible internal control improvement.,” Sofia said. “Auditing is not to blame anyone, but I think of it more as the ultimate way to help other people do their job well. It came from a place of wanting to do accounting while also helping others.”
Sofia was able to intern several times during her studies. She interned at a real estate firm, and then completed an accounting staff internship, which led to a part-time clerk role for a year. Finally, she completed a public accounting internship. Sofia says it was beneficial to study accounting at IU Indianapolis, an urban campus located in the heart of the city, which is home to several accounting and financial firms.
“The location was a huge benefit. I can guarantee I would not have progressed as far as I have in learning to speak the corporate language if it weren’t for attending Kelley Indianapolis,” Sofia said. “I had the opportunity to work part-time during school, and there are so many jobs available to Kelley students. Without that opportunity, I would not have the work experience I did to get my internships and my job. Kelley Indianapolis gave me the knowledge, experience, and the little details in corporate accounting that people don’t think about.”
Those connections also helped Sofia land a job after graduation. During the MSA Program, students learn from Kelley faculty who are experts in the field of accounting and well connected to the industry and top employers. Sofia says she received support and encouragement from Accounting Professor Sam Tiras, faculty chair of Graduate Accounting Programs at Kelley.
“Professor Tiras really pushed me to succeed. Some of his former students reached out to him to see if there was anyone who would do well at their firm, EY,” Sofia said. “Originally, I wasn’t going to apply to a Big 4 accounting firm, but he really encouraged me to try and I’m grateful to him for that opportunity. So far, I have really loved being at EY and working with my current team.”
Sofia says the skills and wealth of accounting knowledge she gained at the Kelley School has served her well in her new role as auditor at EY. The MSA and graduate certificate not only helped Sofia step easily into her new career, it has also prepared her to complete the initial sections of the CPA exam. So far, Sofia has completed the Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) section.
“The MSA prepared me for the terminology and the basic structure of how to study and pass that exam. It’s not something that a lot of people can put very much time and effort into because it can be very draining. There’s a lot being thrown at you in each exam, and you really have to put one foot in front of the other,” Sofia said. “Even though FAR is considered the most difficult section of the exam, I think our schooling did a really good job teaching us the deeper concepts they cover.”
As she begins the accounting career she has been preparing for since middle school, Sofia encourages other students who may be considering a similar path to pursue the MSA and learn all they can about accounting at Kelley.
“The Kelley undergraduate accounting degree is a great introduction to the field, but it’s really the MSA and the graduate certificate that prepare you the best for the accounting world, especially if you want to go into public accounting,” she said. “I’m really loving what I’m doing, and I think the Kelley School did a great job describing what life is like when you get into public accounting. The preparation has really matched what I’m doing right now, so there weren’t any surprises, which was great.”
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