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Brookhauser Finds Niche in Accounting

Senior Makenzie Brookhouser started at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as a computer science major.  After taking an introduction to accounting course as a sophomore, she changed her major.

“I liked the accounting class and I was good at it. Jean Riley Schultz (assistant professor of practice in accountancy) made accounting fun and easy to understand. Everything just clicked, so I believed it would be a great career choice for me,” she said.

Brookhauser at Nebraska Realtor’s Association
Brookhauser at Nebraska Realtor’s Association
The Lincoln native utilized what she learned in class in her position as financial administrator at the Nebraska Realtor’s Association her junior year. She implemented internal controls at the office including business expenditures and credit card reconciliation. Specifically, she kept track of what the company credit card was being used for and reimbursed employees for the purchase of company supplies.

“I learned so much about internal controls and how to safely manage a company’s money in the Accounting Systems (ACCT 309) class taught by Deb Cosgrove (assistant professor of practice in accountancy), which was tremendously helpful in my job. Accounting is stereotyped as boring, but once you know all of the basics, it actually becomes very interesting and applicable to life,” Brookhouser said. “I never in a million years thought I would study accounting, but I love it and I encourage everyone to give it a chance.”

She is also the current president of the CBA Student Ethics Board where she serves not only as a resource to her peers on ethical issues but also plans programs on business ethics. She plans to use her leadership skills combined with her business education to pursue a career in forensic accounting, where she can investigate fraud or embezzlement after graduation. 
Published: January 19, 2016