Kristen Citerella M’25 is a student in the Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation (MSAT) program, pursuing a taxation track. She will receive her degree this May as she establishes a second career in accounting.
Kristen studied hospitality and tourism studies during her undergraduate studies at a local university. She then worked for a few years as a baker and pastry chef before deciding to return back to school for accounting. She says she always enjoyed working with numbers and became interested in the details and intricacies involved in accounting.
Kristen enjoys the flexibility and opportunities that come with being a student at the University of Hartford. Her program is entirely online, allowing her to complete classwork according to her own schedule. While attending classes online, Kristen also had the opportunity to attend career fairs and other accounting related events on campus, including being inducted into Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honor society.
Kristen is currently completing an internship at CohnReznick and plans on working in public accounting after graduation, while studying for the CPA exams. “UHart offers an accounting certificate for people like me who do not have a background in accounting to be able to take the appropriate foundational accounting classes before moving into the MSAT program,” she explains. “I was grateful to pursue this option so that I could be able to earn an accounting degree by completing the certificate classes before completing the MSAT program.”
Kristen says that she has really enjoyed the accounting classes she’s taken at UHart. “I think they have helped give me a well-rounded foundation of accounting. I also appreciate the Beta Alpha Psi events where accounting firms visit the school and give a presentation about the firm. These events have helped give me insight to what it would be like to work in public accounting and potential future career opportunities.”
Additionally, all of Kristen’s professors have been helpful in providing assistance, even though the classes are entirely online. She says they offer virtual office hours and will meet with you to answer any questions you may have. The aforementioned Beta Alpha Psi events, run by Associate Professor of Accounting Jenna Tang, have been “motivational and inspirational” to Kristen as an accounting student.
Outside of her studies, Kristen enjoys yoga and pilates in her free time, as well as spending time with family and her fiancé.