Accepted into the Nebraska Business Honors Academy, Gretchen Holland decided to push herself within the strong business community at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. That decision led the accounting major across the globe to Prague last summer, where she gained leadership and accounting experience while expanding her network through the elite KPMG Global Advantage Program.

A junior from Bloomington, Minnesota, Holland was one of 100 interns from across the United States selected to participate in the prestigious program. Over four days, she participated in professional leadership training, immersed herself in a new culture and built connections with KPMG professionals from both the U.S. and Europe.

“The KPMG Global Advantage Program was the experience of a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to explore Prague and connect with international talent,” Holland said. “I learned so much about global opportunities with KPMG and still keep in touch with many of the professionals and other participants.”

Some of the highlights of her trip to the Czech Republic included a scavenger hunt across Prague's landmarks, visits with KPMG clients at the Pilsner Urquell Brewery and a tour of Prague Castle. She also connected with KPMG's team in Zurich, Switzerland.

Holland's interest in accounting began her freshman year when she took an introductory financial accounting course taught by Amanda Gonzales, associate professor of practice in accountancy. Inspired by Gonzales’ passion for the subject, Holland quickly realized her own affinity for accounting.

“I had never considered accounting as a career path,” Holland said. “The subject matter immediately clicked with my brain, and I loved reading the textbook and studying my journal entries.”

After class, Holland visited Gonzales during office hours to discuss accounting careers and internship opportunities aligned with her interests.

“Dr. Gonzales was incredibly supportive,” said Holland, who chose to major in accounting with minors in economics and finance. “I felt secure knowing that Nebraska has a great accounting program and offers so many options for me when I make my final career decision.”

Eager to explore the investment side of her finance minor, Holland joined the student-led Husker Venture Fund (HVF) Bootcamp as a freshman. There, she gained hands-on experience funding early-stage startups in Nebraska. She also competed in two national Venture Capital Investment Competitions with the HVF team, which earned the Entrepreneur’s Choice Award in Boston for building a strong rapport with startup founders.

“HVF has afforded me significant professional growth and allowed me to give back to the university and Nebraska’s venture capital community,” Holland said. “I've also held a variety of positions from director of new member education to serving as one of the three managing directors this year. Each role has presented challenges and learning opportunities.”

Holland applied her HVF experience as a venture capital and innovation projects intern at Nelnet in Lincoln.

“As part of the corporate venture capital team, the Nelnet internship allowed me to get to know Nebraska's Venture Capital ecosystem intimately while performing due diligence for our team,” Holland said. “I'm honored to have a front-row seat for many of our early-stage deals. It's a great opportunity to be a sponge and learn as much as I possibly can.”

With her HVF and Nelnet experiences on her resume, Holland was selected for the college's Nebraska Investors With Purpose program for high-achieving students. Through the program, she met finance and wealth management experts like Doug Waggoner, '75 and '77, who helped launch the initiative, and other leaders in the investment world who shared their insights and mentored the students.

“I had great conversations with professionals and could tell they truly cared about my success," she said. “I also became more aware of the career options in finance and investments."

Expanding her global connections, she traveled to England after her KPMG experience for Nebraska at Oxford, the university's longest-running study abroad program Holland spent a month taking economics courses while living in Jesus College.

“It was the summer of a lifetime,” she said, referring to both her Oxford and Prague experiences. “I had a great time getting to step into different environments and experiencing the culture.”

This summer, Holland plans to intern at KPMG's audit team in Omaha. She looks forward to working with those she met during the recruitment process.

“I knew accounting would be a great fit for Gretchen the moment we met,” said Gonzales. “With her excellent analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills, it's no surprise that she has excelled.”

Grateful for the wealth of experiences she's had so far at Nebraska, Holland looks forward to her senior year ready to take on new challenges.

“The exceptional environment at Nebraska helped me determine a career path early on while exploring other areas of business,” Holland said. “Looking to the future, I plan to earn my CPA and see myself transitioning to different roles within finance or accounting within a firm or beyond.”