When Emily Fox enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, she was certain of two things: She wanted a career as a certified public accountant and she was going to complete her degree in four years.
“I’ve had a wonderful academic experience and I’m proud of many things I’ve accomplished and been a part of,” Fox says. “But the biggest highlight for me is that I beat the odds and completed my 150 credits in four years.”
Fox says that she brought in only eight credits from high school and was told by many that accounting majors often take five years to complete the program.
“I knew I could do it and I’m very proud of making it happen,” Fox says.
Careful scheduling to meet her goal
Fox, who eventually added minors in finance and information systems, says she stopped short of trying to plan out “class by class” through her four-year timeline, but that sticking to a defined credit load for all terms was the key to graduating according to plan.
“For every semester, three winter and three summer terms, I knew exactly how many credits I needed to complete,” says Fox, adding that online options allowed her to complete many courses from home between semesters.
“After my sophomore and junior years, I did summer internships in the Twin Cities area, one in accounting and one in finance,” Fox says. “Commuting to those jobs from my hometown of Osceola made it possible to accept those highly sought-after paid internships while carrying a full summer course load. It worked out well — online courses were a major key to my degree plan success.”
Backed up by strong faculty support
Fox is quick to acknowledge that, in addition to her own planning and determination, her overall success in the College of Business is due in large part to consistent support and encouragement from faculty.
The Blugold accounting team from a November 2022 Deloitte Audit Case Competition, from left, are Andrew Sentman, Angelina Lind, Linnea Vesely, Emily Fox, Brett Berget and Dr. William Miller.
Fox says that Dr. William Miller and DeeAnn Peterson-Meyer in the COB each offered significant support to her, both academic and personal.
“Bill Miller has been wonderful, showing consistent support and respect for me in the classroom and beyond,” she says.
“And DeeAnn Peterson-Meyer has had a huge impact on my student success and always showed genuine concern for my well-being. It makes a big difference to know you have people in your corner.”
Miller, professor of accounting and finance, taught several of Fox’s classes and served as the coach of her Deloitte Audit Case Competition team in accounting. He says she is an impressive student in multiple ways.
“Emily is a bright, tenacious and fearless student who will make a tremendous contribution to any company she joins in her future,” Miller says. “She is confident and comfortable asking questions and raising concerns — these are important attributes. She has a bright future.”
Peterson, a senior lecturer and Wipfli Accounting Faculty Fellow, says that Fox's dedication to campus and civic engagement has been as impressive as her academic work ethic in accomplishing her career goals.
"Emily truly embodies the spirit of giving back. She excels academically and dedicates her time and effort to making a positive impact both on campus and in the broader community. She demonstrates a genuine concern for others and a desire to contribute to the betterment of society."
Building on an engaged student career
After graduating in May, Fox says she will spend the summer months studying and preparing for the series of certified public accountant exams and looks forward to starting a job in the fall.
“I plan to move back to my hometown and make the commute to a job somewhere in the Twin Cities area,” she says.
She feels confident that the wide variety of leadership roles she played in student organizations within the COB will help her stand out as a candidate and step into a position as an engaged member of an accounting firm.
“I’ve had amazing preparation for the realm of business,” Fox says.
“I've served as president in business student organizations like Student Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi business honor society,” Fox says.
“A couple of standout experiences were staffing and managing the accounting department tutoring lab, serving as a tutor myself, and organizing an event called Youth in STEM. We invited area middle and high school students from marginalized groups to campus for a hands-on chance to explore education and career opportunities in STEM.
"I’ve had great access at UWEC to grow as a professional and I’m ready for what comes next,” Fox says.
