Vishwa Ardeshana
What skills have you learned from the M.S. in Accounting Program?
The MSA program is like a boot camp for holistic growth and offers different avenues to develop critical skills. In addition to learning how to be a better leader and professional, I have also grown personally. The program challenged me to improve my business writing and direct communication skills, which have empowered me to deliver my thoughts impactfully. Brilliant faculty members and advanced coursework have also helped me understand complex accounting concepts and foster a curious mindset and critical thinking skills, highly valued in a data-driven world. Being a STEM-based program, I have had the opportunity to work on versatile data analytics tools and learn effective data communication techniques. I also learned effective skills to collaborate and connect with my teammates and achieve synergy.
What was the most interesting class you’ve taken in the program?
I enjoyed taking every class in the program since they helped me step outside my comfort zone and learn something new. All my professors were passionate about their courses and made them very engaging. I would say the Leading in Accounting course left a more substantial impact on me, since Professor Andrea Roberts coached us on what I would consider to be life lessons. I learned transferable skills in this class that I started implementing into my daily activities and plan to keep nurturing moving forward. Interactive workshops on understanding different leadership styles, giving and receiving feedback, networking, difficult conversations, email communication, and other class activities enabled me to improve in these areas and made all of us supportive team players too. I learned about leadership on another level, where I adapted skills to build team trust and collaboration through feedback. Such guidance and resources will empower me to have better conversations in the workplace and in my personal life.
Outside of McIntire, what are your favorite things to do in the Charlottesville area?
I love the beautiful hikes Charlottesville has to offer. I am an outdoorsy person, so I enjoy checking out new trails and immersing myself in nature. Living on Grounds closer to the Barracks Road Shopping Center also made many shops and stores accessible for me. One of my favorite weekend activities is to go to Barnes & Noble at the shopping center and enjoy reading an exciting book while sipping coffee.
How were your interactions with the faculty members? How did these interactions impact your overall experience?
It has been delightful to learn from dedicated, caring professors who go above and beyond to share their knowledge and get to know me as an individual. In their unique way, every professor has interacted with me to learn about my personal and professional experiences, stories, and interests. The professors also created a fun, interactive learning environment that facilitated participation. They gave me opportunities to be myself and inspired that by sharing their stories and experiences with us. Even the professors who only interacted with us through Zoom made sure to create an engaging environment. Some would play some music in the background of the Zoom room or tell us stories about their family or pets and ask us how things were going. It has been such a valuable opportunity to learn from excellent professors—they’ve made my master’s program experience very engaging and exciting.
What will you be doing after you graduate?
After graduating, I will work as a Risk Advisory Analyst for Deloitte in Charlotte, NC. I am excited to be a part of the company culture that will help me grow in my values and areas of life that are important to me. I am looking forward to the opportunities that will challenge me to develop as a leader and strengthen my personal and professional skills. I aspire to be in a role in which I can facilitate coaching and mentoring to empower others on their journey to growth and learning.
