Gabrielle Rinaldi '17
"As an accountant, I love numbers," says Gabrielle Rinaldi '17, "but I love looking beyond the numbers even more."
"Accountants have to be broad minded," she explains. "They have to understand multiple industries and be able to build relationships with their clients. You can't be an accountant if you don't know how to talk to people or you don't know what's going on in your client's world."
That's one reason Rinaldi appreciates how her Bryant education has provided her with a solid, far-reaching knowledge base. "Being able to take courses like international communications, organizational behavior and design thinking alongside my accounting classes has helped me train both sides of my brain," she says.
She also appreciates how her professors ensured she connected with the material. "Professor Cullinan's teaching style is phenomenal," Rinaldi remembers. "It's all conversation based. We'd talk about concepts and big ideas and then he'd ask us 'What would you do in this situation?'"
That emphasis on immersion extended into projects as well, including a group effort that saw Rinaldi perform a mock audit on a real company. "It was amazing," she says "We took a client and went through all of their financial statements, press releases, anything related to their work. Then we analyzed their risks and proposed audit procedures that we would do if we were actually working for them."
Rinaldi is pursuing her Masters in Professional Accountancy through Bryant's accelerated program which will allow her to earn both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in the same calendar year. In January, she'll start a new job as an Assurance Associate at RSM US.
"I liked RSM because they reminded me of Bryant," she says. "They're very team-oriented, and they care about what you want to do and how they can help you grow."
Real World Experience
Leadership
Bryant Senior Advisory Council (BSAC)
• Worked with the President's Cabinet to provide feedback and discuss ways to improve campus life
Student Coordinator of the Ambassador Program
• Developed logistical, managerial and organizational skills through helping to coordinate and run various operations related to prospective student events, including managing over 120 student ambassadors
IDEA Program Student Coordinator
• Worked alongside faculty and staff to organize the Bryant IDEA Program, including planning, logistical scheduling, training and staffing and communicating with outside vendors
Study Abroad
Sophomore International Experience
• Traveled to London and Paris for two weeks after a semester-long three-credit course, gained cultural, historical, and international business knowledge
Internships
RSM US LLP, Assurance Summer Intern
• Gained experience with engagement teams and team protocol with audit clients, worked on mock audit project, practiced assessing client risk and internal control systems
Peer Tutoring
Academic Center for Excellence, Writing Consultant
• Assisted students of varying skill levels at all stages of the writing process through one-on-one appointments and worked with other consultants on developing best practices
Student Ambassador
Student Coordinator of the Ambassador Program
• Developed logistical, managerial and organizational skills through helping to coordinate and run various operations related to prospective student events, including managing over 120 student ambassadors
A Connected Community
Bryant's purposeful student life delivers co-curricular immersion with an inspiring, collegial community. Students forge deep connections that last a lifetime.