{"id":514734,"date":"2024-11-22T09:47:59","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/?p=514734"},"modified":"2024-12-10T16:25:36","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T21:25:36","slug":"30-years-and-accounting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/30-years-and-accounting\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Years and (Ac)Counting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

When Jenkins Master of Accounting program director Scott Showalter calls the MAC community \u201ca family for life,\u201d he means it. And now, 30 years after the program\u2019s launch at Poole College, it\u2019s a big<\/em> family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How big? About 2,550 alumni \u2014 starting with 36 students in the inaugural 1995 graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout all of the program\u2019s broad impacts and highlights since its inception in 1994, the tight-knit MAC community, for online and on-campus students, is key. That feature surfaces quickly in conversations with Showalter, students, alumni and faculty.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne thing that makes us stand out is that you really are joining a family when you come into our MAC program,\u201d Showalter says. \u201cWe don\u2019t let students get lost. We\u2019re with them for the whole journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cOne thing that makes us stand out is that you really are joining a family when you come into our MAC program.\u201d<\/strong>
\u2013Scott Showalter<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Kathy Krawczyk, MAC director from 2004 to 2018, has been a program leader for its entire journey. She cites the program\u2019s first national ranking, in 2005 \u2014 No. 23 in the Public Accounting Report among U.S. graduate accounting programs \u2014 as an early turning point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat brought us to a lot of people\u2019s minds who wouldn\u2019t have thought of us,\u201d Krawczyk, still a MAC professor, says. <\/strong>\u201cMany people didn\u2019t realize that NC State, which they considered an engineering and science school, had a business school or an accounting program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rankings can have an influence on students and employers. \u201cThat\u2019s a very positive reflection on Poole. The MAC program is considered one of the gems of the college from that perspective,\u201d Showalter says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That gem continues to earn national rankings, including most recently for its online program, which has helped nearly double enrollment since its establishment in 2019. This fall\u2019s projected enrollment will be the largest, with a total of 180 students online and on campus.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"group<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The online program is among several signature initiatives to power the program\u2019s growth in recent years. The innovations reflect a strategic focus on providing what many students want most in their busy lives: flexibility.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ebony Therrier, a MAC graduate this spring, embraced the online option as a student who worked full time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel like I missed out on anything being online instead of on campus,\u201d says Therrier, a physical therapist who pursued accounting to help with the business she and her husband own. She took the same courses as on-campus students and sometimes attended classes in real time with them virtually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The online curriculum included many group activities, and Therrier enjoyed talking with classmates around the country and abroad. \u201cI could reach out to professors by phone and text. Everyone was readily available,\u201d she says. \u201cI liked the communication and collaboration.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attracting non-accounting majors like Therrier \u2014 who has accepted an offer to be a tax associate with Grant Thornton in Charlotte \u2014 has been a huge success \u2014 for students and the MAC program.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I give the most credit to for our increased enrollment is that we changed the pond we\u2019re fishing in. We made it bigger,\u201d Showalter says. \u201cThe bigger number of students enriches what\u2019s going on in the program. Students are less homogenous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n
\n \n\n
\"Two
The program offers a variety of career and networking events for students. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"One<\/figure>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

MAC\u2019s online ASAP program also draws from a larger \u2014 and more diverse \u2014 pool of students. ASAP allows eligible students with non-accounting undergraduate majors to take foundational required courses to prepare for the MAC program. In the Accelerated Bachelor\u2019s\/Master\u2019s Degree program, undergraduates take MAC courses to earn both of their degrees sooner.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 40 percent of the students in this fall\u2019s incoming class represent non-accounting backgrounds.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers appreciate a more well-rounded group of accounting graduates to consider, which raises Poole\u2019s profile during company recruiting seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another draw for employers is the caliber of Jenkins MAC graduates. That quality is enhanced by a career services team that focuses solely on the MAC program and helps students find positions that fit their skills and interests. \u201cThat\u2019s why employers come back here to recruit. If they have a better match with a new employee to begin with, the employee is more likely to stay longer,\u201d Showalter says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly all students have accepted a job offer before they graduate. Showalter\u2019s program has relationships with about 35 employers. \u201cWe\u2019re one of their top schools for recruiting,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Archive<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\n \n \"group\n <\/button>\n \n \"four\n <\/button>\n \n \"three\n <\/button>\n \n \"group\n <\/button>\n \n \"group\n <\/button>\n \n \"group\n <\/button>\n \n \"group\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Innovating and Evolving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Therrier was impressed by the MAC career services team, which organizes job fairs and helps students with resumes, interview practice, evaluating job offers and other job-search aspects. Even after graduation, they gave her guidance. \u201cIt\u2019s an ongoing thing. You\u2019re just a part of the NC State MAC program,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With admissions and other MAC staff, too, \u201cThe behind-the-scenes administration makes everything work well. The support that was provided was amazing,\u201d Therrier says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The attentiveness to students is reflected in MAC\u2019s mentorship program, which matches each student with a professor, an uncommon setup among business schools, notes Showalter, MAC director since 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrations Over the Years<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\n \n \"Two\n <\/button>\n \n \"\"\n\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"Two\n <\/button>\n \n \"Two\n <\/button>\n \n \"\"\n\n <\/button>\n \n \"\"\n\n <\/button>\n \n \"\"\n\n <\/button>\n \n \"\"\n\n <\/button>\n \n \"Kathy\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Another unusual Jenkins MAC innovation is the option of two academic tracks for students: the more traditional route of public accounting and a business and industry path, popular with many students without an accounting background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, women \u2014 with and without accounting experience \u2014 have comprised more and more of Poole\u2019s MAC enrollment: in the class of 2024, 72 percent of online students and 52 percent of on-campus students.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krawczyk, a rare woman in the field when she entered it in 1981, has monitored the demographic change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Particularly as accounting has become more people-oriented in the past 20 years, it plays to many women\u2019s strengths in relating to clients. \u201cIt\u2019s a field that women do very well in\u2026and it\u2019s much more appealing to them,\u201d Krawczyk says. \u201cWe\u2019re no longer cutting off a group of very intelligent people who can do a good job in the profession.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And more women are leaders in the industry. Although the percentage is still low, nationally 39 percent of accounting firm partners are women, she notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to teaching the nuts and bolts of the profession, the MAC program has beefed up its courses in critical thinking and analysis, research and writing to produce more versatile graduates for the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019m proudest of is the caliber of students who are coming in and going out. They\u2019re the whole package now. Our students are recognized by recruiters as being primo hires.\u201d<\/strong>
\u2013Kathy Krawczyk<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe spend a lot of time on soft skills, the skills they need to really succeed,\u201d Krawczyk says. \u201cWhat I\u2019m proudest of is the caliber of students who are coming in and going out. They\u2019re the whole package now. Our students are recognized by recruiters as being primo hires.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Showalter aims to keep it that way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means always looking ahead to the next innovation to keep on track with market trends and to produce graduates prepared to be competitive in a changing workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n
\n \n\n
\"Three<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"one<\/figure>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of our time as an administrative team is spent on where we need to be moving the program to. We\u2019re always looking at innovative and new ways, the way we think the industry\u2019s going,\u201d Showalter says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data analytics is now incorporated into the MAC curriculum, and Showalter\u2019s team is discussing how to integrate the quickly evolving realm of AI into the classroom, so students can gain skills they need to use that technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018It\u2019s Like a Family\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBack when I got my accounting degree, people said, \u2018You are set for life.\u2019 But now, going forward, education will be consumed over a period of years,\u201d Showalter says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just content that\u2019s critical in higher education. The method of delivery also is crucial in an environment of lifelong learning. With many students juggling jobs and families while they pursue education, certificates and other credentials are increasingly popular alternatives to degrees. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n
\n \n\n
\"Three
MAC students connect with each other, faculty and staff.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Six<\/figure>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

MAC\u2019s Lifelong Learning Programs series, in collaboration with NC State Executive Education, offers virtual summer sessions and an annual summit to MAC alumni and other professionals. Attendees can earn Continuing Professional Education credits to support career development.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to think about how we\u2019re delivering the knowledge they need in digestible bits,\u201d Showalter says. \u201cIt has to be provided in a way that they can consume it with all the other things going on in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a single mother who also has a job, MAC student Jenniffer Lozano Rodriguez has a lot going on in her life. She cites the support from the program\u2019s staff and faculty, and the scholarship aid they helped her find, as particularly valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s my home. The professors
and others around us really care about us.\u201d<\/strong>
\u2013Lozano Rodriguez
<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s my home. The professors and others around us really care about us,\u201d says Lozano Rodriguez, who moved to North Carolina, where she has relatives, from her native Colombia. \u201cThey want to help you accomplish your goals. It\u2019s very cool, like a family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krawczyk has email addresses for about 2,400 of the 2,550 alumni in the \u201cfamily.\u201d Many graduates stay connected with her and with the MAC program more broadly in various ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of them is 2020 graduate Justine James, a senior associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Tampa, Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe standard they held us to at Poole was very high. It was a rigorous program. At the time I started work, I felt very prepared,\u201d says James, who was promoted at work soon after she started there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For two years after she graduated, she mentored several MAC students to help them transition into the program. She supported them in navigating project management, balancing priorities and developing study habits. \u201cI loved the program,\u201d James says. \u201cGiving back in that way seemed like an awesome opportunity to help others reach their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cWe provide much more than knowledge.
We transform students because we\u2019ve taught them how to think critically.
We\u2019re helping to prepare them for the
rest of their lives.\u201d<\/strong>
\u2013Scott Showalter
<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Guiding students to their full potential is the MAC program\u2019s ultimate goal \u2014 and one of its consistent achievements. In that process, seeing students stretch and grow is Showalter\u2019s main reward and motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur graduation ceremony is very emotional. We are witnessing the end of one journey and the beginning of exciting careers,\u201d he says. \u201cWe provide much more than knowledge. We transform students because we’ve taught them how to think critically. We tell students we’re helping to prepare them for the rest of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

More from Poole Business: Fall 2024<\/h2>\n

As North Carolina\u2019s Think and Do business school, we create real value for our graduates \u2014 making a difference not just in their lives, but in businesses and communities across the state.<\/p>\n \n

\n \n \n
\n
\n "Woman\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

Thought Leadership in Review<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

This year, Poole faculty experts have captivated a diverse audience by sharing emerging research, exploring trending marketplace topics and addressing national issues and societal challenges.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n \n

\n
\n "One\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

Bolstering the College\u2019s \u2018Ecosystem\u2019<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

The newest Hong family gift to Poole College supports faculty excellence in research.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n \n

\n
\n ""\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

A Career Built on Three I\u2019s<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

High-impact experiences at the Poole College of Management set the course for Kayla Woitkowski\u2019s high-performance career.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n See all in current issue<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

When Jenkins Master of Accounting program director Scott Showalter calls the MAC community \u201ca family for life,\u201d he means it. And now, 30 years after the program\u2019s launch at Poole College, it\u2019s a big<\/em> family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How big? About 2,550 alumni \u2014 starting with 36 students in the inaugural 1995 graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout all of the program\u2019s broad impacts and highlights since its inception in 1994, the tight-knit MAC community, for online and on-campus students, is key. That feature surfaces quickly in conversations with Showalter, students, alumni and faculty.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne thing that makes us stand out is that you really are joining a family when you come into our MAC program,\u201d Showalter says. \u201cWe don\u2019t let students get lost. We\u2019re with them for the whole journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Kathy Krawczyk, MAC director from 2004 to 2018, has been a program leader for its entire journey. She cites the program\u2019s first national ranking, in 2005 \u2014 No. 23 in the Public Accounting Report among U.S. graduate accounting programs \u2014 as an early turning point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat brought us to a lot of people\u2019s minds who wouldn\u2019t have thought of us,\u201d Krawczyk, still a MAC professor, says. <\/strong>\u201cMany people didn\u2019t realize that NC State, which they considered an engineering and science school, had a business school or an accounting program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rankings can have an influence on students and employers. \u201cThat\u2019s a very positive reflection on Poole. The MAC program is considered one of the gems of the college from that perspective,\u201d Showalter says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That gem continues to earn national rankings, including most recently for its online program, which has helped nearly double enrollment since its establishment in 2019. This fall\u2019s projected enrollment will be the largest, with a total of 180 students online and on campus.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"group<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The online program is among several signature initiatives to power the program\u2019s growth in recent years. The innovations reflect a strategic focus on providing what many students want most in their busy lives: flexibility.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ebony Therrier, a MAC graduate this spring, embraced the online option as a student who worked full time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel like I missed out on anything being online instead of on campus,\u201d says Therrier, a physical therapist who pursued accounting to help with the business she and her husband own. She took the same courses as on-campus students and sometimes attended classes in real time with them virtually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The online curriculum included many group activities, and Therrier enjoyed talking with classmates around the country and abroad. \u201cI could reach out to professors by phone and text. Everyone was readily available,\u201d she says. \u201cI liked the communication and collaboration.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attracting non-accounting majors like Therrier \u2014 who has accepted an offer to be a tax associate with Grant Thornton in Charlotte \u2014 has been a huge success \u2014 for students and the MAC program.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I give the most credit to for our increased enrollment is that we changed the pond we\u2019re fishing in. We made it bigger,\u201d Showalter says. \u201cThe bigger number of students enriches what\u2019s going on in the program. Students are less homogenous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Two
The program offers a variety of career and networking events for students. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"One<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n

MAC\u2019s online ASAP program also draws from a larger \u2014 and more diverse \u2014 pool of students. ASAP allows eligible students with non-accounting undergraduate majors to take foundational required courses to prepare for the MAC program. In the Accelerated Bachelor\u2019s\/Master\u2019s Degree program, undergraduates take MAC courses to earn both of their degrees sooner.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 40 percent of the students in this fall\u2019s incoming class represent non-accounting backgrounds.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers appreciate a more well-rounded group of accounting graduates to consider, which raises Poole\u2019s profile during company recruiting seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another draw for employers is the caliber of Jenkins MAC graduates. That quality is enhanced by a career services team that focuses solely on the MAC program and helps students find positions that fit their skills and interests. \u201cThat\u2019s why employers come back here to recruit. If they have a better match with a new employee to begin with, the employee is more likely to stay longer,\u201d Showalter says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly all students have accepted a job offer before they graduate. Showalter\u2019s program has relationships with about 35 employers. \u201cWe\u2019re one of their top schools for recruiting,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Archive<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Innovating and Evolving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Therrier was impressed by the MAC career services team, which organizes job fairs and helps students with resumes, interview practice, evaluating job offers and other job-search aspects. Even after graduation, they gave her guidance. \u201cIt\u2019s an ongoing thing. You\u2019re just a part of the NC State MAC program,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With admissions and other MAC staff, too, \u201cThe behind-the-scenes administration makes everything work well. The support that was provided was amazing,\u201d Therrier says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The attentiveness to students is reflected in MAC\u2019s mentorship program, which matches each student with a professor, an uncommon setup among business schools, notes Showalter, MAC director since 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrations Over the Years<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Another unusual Jenkins MAC innovation is the option of two academic tracks for students: the more traditional route of public accounting and a business and industry path, popular with many students without an accounting background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, women \u2014 with and without accounting experience \u2014 have comprised more and more of Poole\u2019s MAC enrollment: in the class of 2024, 72 percent of online students and 52 percent of on-campus students.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krawczyk, a rare woman in the field when she entered it in 1981, has monitored the demographic change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Particularly as accounting has become more people-oriented in the past 20 years, it plays to many women\u2019s strengths in relating to clients. \u201cIt\u2019s a field that women do very well in\u2026and it\u2019s much more appealing to them,\u201d Krawczyk says. \u201cWe\u2019re no longer cutting off a group of very intelligent people who can do a good job in the profession.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And more women are leaders in the industry. Although the percentage is still low, nationally 39 percent of accounting firm partners are women, she notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to teaching the nuts and bolts of the profession, the MAC program has beefed up its courses in critical thinking and analysis, research and writing to produce more versatile graduates for the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe spend a lot of time on soft skills, the skills they need to really succeed,\u201d Krawczyk says. \u201cWhat I\u2019m proudest of is the caliber of students who are coming in and going out. They\u2019re the whole package now. Our students are recognized by recruiters as being primo hires.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Showalter aims to keep it that way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means always looking ahead to the next innovation to keep on track with market trends and to produce graduates prepared to be competitive in a changing workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Three<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"one<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of our time as an administrative team is spent on where we need to be moving the program to. We\u2019re always looking at innovative and new ways, the way we think the industry\u2019s going,\u201d Showalter says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data analytics is now incorporated into the MAC curriculum, and Showalter\u2019s team is discussing how to integrate the quickly evolving realm of AI into the classroom, so students can gain skills they need to use that technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018It\u2019s Like a Family\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBack when I got my accounting degree, people said, \u2018You are set for life.\u2019 But now, going forward, education will be consumed over a period of years,\u201d Showalter says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just content that\u2019s critical in higher education. The method of delivery also is crucial in an environment of lifelong learning. With many students juggling jobs and families while they pursue education, certificates and other credentials are increasingly popular alternatives to degrees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Three
MAC students connect with each other, faculty and staff.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Six<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n

MAC\u2019s Lifelong Learning Programs series, in collaboration with NC State Executive Education, offers virtual summer sessions and an annual summit to MAC alumni and other professionals. Attendees can earn Continuing Professional Education credits to support career development.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to think about how we\u2019re delivering the knowledge they need in digestible bits,\u201d Showalter says. \u201cIt has to be provided in a way that they can consume it with all the other things going on in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a single mother who also has a job, MAC student Jenniffer Lozano Rodriguez has a lot going on in her life. She cites the support from the program\u2019s staff and faculty, and the scholarship aid they helped her find, as particularly valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s my home. The professors and others around us really care about us,\u201d says Lozano Rodriguez, who moved to North Carolina, where she has relatives, from her native Colombia. \u201cThey want to help you accomplish your goals. It\u2019s very cool, like a family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krawczyk has email addresses for about 2,400 of the 2,550 alumni in the \u201cfamily.\u201d Many graduates stay connected with her and with the MAC program more broadly in various ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of them is 2020 graduate Justine James, a senior associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Tampa, Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe standard they held us to at Poole was very high. It was a rigorous program. At the time I started work, I felt very prepared,\u201d says James, who was promoted at work soon after she started there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For two years after she graduated, she mentored several MAC students to help them transition into the program. She supported them in navigating project management, balancing priorities and developing study habits. \u201cI loved the program,\u201d James says. \u201cGiving back in that way seemed like an awesome opportunity to help others reach their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Guiding students to their full potential is the MAC program\u2019s ultimate goal \u2014 and one of its consistent achievements. In that process, seeing students stretch and grow is Showalter\u2019s main reward and motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur graduation ceremony is very emotional. We are witnessing the end of one journey and the beginning of exciting careers,\u201d he says. \u201cWe provide much more than knowledge. We transform students because we've taught them how to think critically. We tell students we're helping to prepare them for the rest of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Jenkins MAC Program\u2019s anniversary celebrates a legacy of impact and innovation \u2014 with excitement for the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":514800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Jess Clarke","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"red_400\",\"displayCategoryID\":23,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"The Jenkins MAC Program\u2019s anniversary celebrates a legacy of impact and innovation\u00a0\u2014 with excitement for the future. \",\"image\":\"{\\\"alt\\\":\\\"class\\\",\\\"id\\\":514799,\\\"caption\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"url\\\":\\\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2024\/10\/MAC-class-fall2024-1000p.jpg\\\"}\",\"focalPoint\":{\"x\":0.29,\"y\":0.5}}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[68],"class_list":["post-514734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":23,"name":"Academics","slug":"academics","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":23,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=514734"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":515074,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514734\/revisions\/515074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/514800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=514734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=514734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=514734"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=514734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}