By Natalie Page
Whether continuing with higher education or starting a career, six soon-to-be graduates will never forget their time at UA. Seniors Beau DeVaul, Vickie Fassl, Gene Fulmer, Tori Leonard, Rachel Paulsen and Richie Petitbon share the transformative influence UA has had and will continue to have on them for the rest of their lives.
Beau DeVaul
Major/Minor: Double major in finance and economics with a specialization in public policy and law
What is something on campus you wish you had taken more advantage of? I wish I had gone to more group exercise classes at the Rec.
Have courses and professors prepared you for your job field? Definitely. I know I will have the business acumen and technical skills to tackle the tasks ahead of me.
What are your plans? I am moving to Baltimore, Maryland, to do public sector consulting for PwC (also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers).
Advice for undergraduates: While four years may seem like a long time, it goes by faster than you think. Try and do something meaningful while you’re here.
Vickie Fassl
Major/Minor: communicative disorders and human development
What campus resources benefited you the most? I would have to say that I benefited the most from my countless hours spent at Bruno Library.
What will you miss the most? Game day and Dining Dollars.
What are your plans? I will be attending NYU for graduate school in the fall for my master’s in speech therapy to become a speech pathologist.
Advice for undergraduates: Take advantage of everything the University offers, especially game day!
Gene Fulmer
Major/Minor: marketing and public relations
Favorite memory: When I lost the presidential election last spring. While it was easy to look at this loss as a failure, I looked around me and saw so many of my friends that gathered around me over that past week cheering me on and getting behind my message. I recognized the friends I made at UA and realized those relationships are what made my college experience and memories of UA great.
Do you feel prepared for the real world? I feel totally prepared for the real world. There will always be a learning curve, but I believe UA has adequately prepared me for my career path.
What are your plans? I decided a few weeks ago to pursue a master’s degree in family financial planning and counseling. It’s a one-year program that will give me an opportunity to sit for the CFP exam upon graduation to obtain my Certified Financial Planner certification. After that, I plan to be a financial adviser for Edward Jones.
Advice for undergraduates: Seek advice and help of older students, but find your own at UA. Find your passions. Find your group. Find what you get fired up about and pour into that without abandon. Be the change that you want to see and make your college experience the best it can be.
Tori Leonard
Major/Minor: accounting and computing technology and applications
Have courses and professors prepared you for your job field? I believe all of the courses I have taken — whether they were in my major or not, whether it was the actual material of the course or just learning habits that I developed — have taught me things that can be useful in my career. The teachers that I have come to know in my major have been very helpful in giving advice and real-world examples about the accounting field, which will be useful when the time comes for me to begin my career.
Favorite memory: Just getting to know the different people that I’ve met over the last four years. Meeting people from different backgrounds and lifestyles has been very eye-opening.
What are your plans? I will be a part of the Master of Accountancy Program here at UA in the fall. After Graduate School, I will begin work at Ernst & Young in Dallas, Texas.
Advice for undergraduates: Network, and don’t be afraid to meet people who you wouldn’t normally connect with. A good way to meet that network of people is to get involved in different organizations. If you’re interested in different things, find the organizations that focus on those interests and try to get involved.
Rachel Paulsen
Major/Minor: nursing
Do you feel prepared for the real world? Yes, I feel as prepared as I’m going to be for post-graduation life. My family and school have prepared me well for when I leave the college world, so I am lucky to have gained confidence in taking my next step rather than facing it with fear!
What campus resources benefited you the most? The professors, specifically at the Capstone College of Nursing. It’s so beneficial to have professors who genuinely want you to succeed! I found an even greater passion for nursing during my time at the Capstone.
What are your plans? After graduation, I will start my nursing career as a pediatric nurse at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham! This is a very dear dream of mine and I can’t wait to start this summer!
Advice for undergraduates: It’s “all about balance!” College doesn’t have to be in extremes: “all work and no fun” or “all fun and no work.” Your college years are a vital time for shaping yourself and your life for your future, so it’s important to be dedicated to your studies and work hard. However, it is also very important for your mental health to know when to take breaks and hang out with friends and make time for things that you enjoy doing.
Richie Petitbon
Major/Minor: communication studies and consumer sciences
Favorite memory: Winning the 2017 National Championship. Being down the first half to coming back and eventually getting the win made it that much better. Then coming back to see what it did to the University and how excited everyone was for us, especially after losing last year, made it even more special.
What is something you wish you had taken more advantage of? I wish I had taken more advantage of community outreach.
What are your plans? I’m attending Graduate School at UA for consumer sciences and focusing on finance. I will also continue to play football for the rest of my eligibility.
Advice for undergraduates: Wake up, go to class, do your homework and you’ll graduate.