When Lily Gamel chose to attend Northern Kentucky University, she knew very few people. But she decided to take the risk, anyway.
“Do not be afraid to take risks. I know it seems confusing at first, but you will get there by surrounding yourself with the right people,” the Lakeside Park, Kentucky native says. “I was granted so many opportunities at NKU because I ignored my doubts and took risks to further my development as a student.”
Lily, a double major in accounting and human resource management, took as many classes as possible during the last four years in order to finish with 150 credit hours, which is required for the CPA exam.
“In order to get 150 credit hours in four years, I had heavy course loads and constant summer classes,” she says. “It was overwhelming at first, but I dedicated myself to a strict schedule and productive study buddies.”
But Lily still made time for fun. One of her favorite memories, she recalls, is playing in the Big Pink Volleyball Tournament with her Finance and Accounting Student Association team.
Lily is walking away from NKU with more than just a college education. She got leadership experience as the president of FASA and a member in the Eva G and Oakley Farris Leadership Academy. She got on-the-job experience while working for VonLehman CPA & Advisory as an audit co-op for the last few semesters. All of these experiences will help Lily as she prepares to take the CPA exam and work as an audit associate for BKD, an accounting firm in Bloomington, Indiana
“I came to NKU to just get a degree, and I am coming out with so much more,” she says. “I feel that I am not the same person I was when I first started at NKU because it has been such a transformative journey.”
