Dean’s Dialogues: Get to Know MAC Alum Rebecca Crumpler

Poole College Dean Frank Buckless has been sitting down with students and recent grads to learn more about their experiences in the college.This is the latest installment in the series.

Rebecca Crumpler graduated in May 2021 from Poole College’s Jenkins Master of Accounting (MAC) Program with a concentration in tax strategy. She is currently a tax supervisor with LifeTime Asset & Tax Management.

Read on to learn more about Crumpler and her Poole College journey. Please note: This interview has been edited from the audio recording for length and clarity.

Could you talk a little about your background?

I enrolled at Appalachian State after high school, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I took a break and went to work at a financial institution. That employer was willing to pay for additional education and I realized I should go back and finish a degree. I finished my undergrad at Appalachian in business management. I continued to work and obtained my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification. At the time, I was also preparing tax returns and found that I really liked tax. I decided to get a master’s in accounting, and looked for an online program that could fit with my life. I was working full time, I’m married and I have two young children. NC State was at the top of the list. I finished my master’s in accounting in a year and went on to get my CPA.

What were some ways you found to connect during the online program?

We’d email during the workday for assignments and projects. The classes were held through Zoom and that provided plenty of interaction with professors. We could easily interrupt and ask questions, and we received support from them. If I needed extra help with something I wasn’t getting, they’d either stay after class on the Zoom, or we would schedule another time. It was very helpful for me with my crazy schedule to be able to get the education that I was looking for.

Talk about how you balanced your schedule.

Most online classes were in the evening, which typically worked around my traditional work schedule. There were maybe two classes that started at 6:00. I would have my phone on the dashboard of my car because I’d be on the way home. I was participating in class and my professors were understanding that I was in transit. I wasn’t missing out on anything. With my family, there wasn’t class every night. I was doing work every night, but I would get home, make dinner and sit down with the kids. Once they were in bed, I would do class work until maybe 10pm to midnight.

What courses were most helpful?

All of them play a part in what I do on a daily basis, even if they weren’t directly teaching the subject matter I use now in tax. The one that taught me the best skills and practical application was Jennie Dirienzo’s (lecturer in accounting) Business 590: Business Tax Matters. I think it was the most challenging course I had and that’s also why I feel it was the most helpful. It was heavily tied to real-world situations. It helped me gain confidence in general and feel good about the switch from a different career into accounting.

What is your role now and how did you find it?

I was at a financial institution when I started with the MAC program and then in February of 2021, I switched to a tax firm. I am still with that same firm and I love it. I used LinkedIn – I honestly applied to get experience in interviewing for an accounting job and to see what accounting firms were looking for, so I could tailor my resume. But it ended up being where I landed.

What advice would you share with a prospective student considering Poole College and the MAC program?

I would say, don’t be scared. It’s not easy taking that leap, even if it’s just transitioning from your undergraduate directly into a master’s program, or if it’s like me where you’re coming back into education after being in the workforce for a long time. It’s totally worth it. It’s not as scary as you think and you just have to take it one step at a time.

What advice would you give them once they graduate?

Take advantage during the program of everything that Poole offers in terms of career services. Then,  after you’re hopefully placed with a good job, don’t be scared to change jobs down the road. Accounting has a very wide variety of career choices. You can go anywhere and do anything. So if you start somewhere and you don’t like it, try somewhere else. It might be the firm. It might be the type of work. Don’t be afraid to change.