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the sister that was there at the time. Um, she asked me to participate in the graduation mass as like a volunteer to help out. Um, so I went to that graduation ceremony and I sat next to him and um, the year after that we just kind of kept bumping into each other. We became like really close friends and then, you know, after the fact um, we both transferred to LA and eventually uh, we started dating each other and the rest is history. Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College.

00:00:36
I am your host Kelly Peiffer vice president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College you belong here always. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a segment of the show I like to call did you know? where we will share some fun facts about Manor College that you may or may not know. Did you know that Manor College was ranked by the US Department of Education

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in the top 200 nationally for creating economic mobility for students? We've all heard the term economic mobility, but have you ever stopped to really think about what that actually means for a family? So, let me paint a picture for you. Imagine a single parent making around $30,000 a year, working really hard to give their child a shot for a better life. They're doing everything they can, and their child is watching and learning from them. Now, fast forward a bit. That child graduates from

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college, gets a degree, and lands a job as an accountant, starting at $75,000 a year for that salary. Can you imagine that moment? The first thing that this new college graduate is going to do is turn to their mom and dad and say like our lives are going to change. We're going to live differently now. That's just not like a nice thought. That's what economic mobility does in action. It's a moment of real tangible change that can impact a family and change that family's tree. The New York Time is has

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also ranked Manor College in the top 6% of colleges for creating that kind of mobility and that's exactly what they're measuring. They're looking for real families getting real transformations and the ripple effect that a college degree has for decades to come. So when we talk to donors about Manor College, we don't just say like we're a good school. We always use the word transformational because we're just not handing out diplomas. We're helping close this wealth gap and create

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significant economic change in people's lives that's going to change their family forever. It's one more way we're helping our students to achieve powerful life-changing moment for them and their families. Today's episode is sponsored by the Manor College Bachelor's degree in accounting. New for fall 2025. Are you ready to build towards a career that is in high demand? With a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Manor College, you can become a financial detective, a business strategist, and a

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vital force for growth. Our small class sizes mean that you get personalized attention from our expert faculty. Manor College, you belong here. Learn more at Manor.edu/accounting. We have a truly special guest today, an inspiring alumni who's making waves in the accounting world. She is a proud graduate from Ben Salem High School who then pursued her passion right here at Manor College. While studying accounting, she earned an associates degree in business administration in 2012. During her time at Manor, she was

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incredibly active serving as president of the Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honor Societies where she led fundraising efforts for breast cancer awareness. She also dedicated her time to helping others as an accounting peer tutor. After graduating from Manor, she transferred to Lasal University, continuing her educational journey. Today, she's a successful account assistant controller at Han and Stone Massage, a testament of her hard work and the foundation she has built, formerly working at Ernest and Young,

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one of the big four public accounting firms. Jess is also a first generation college student. So, please join me in welcoming our guest today, Jessica Strickland. Hi, Jess. Hi, Kelly. Thanks for having me. Yes, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm really excited to talk to you. Um, so Jess, kind of take us back. How did you hear about Manor and why did you choose ultimately to attend? Yeah. Um, so you know, um, as a senior in high school, I was kind of going through the college application process,

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um, as my other peers were, and I had a couple schools on my list, but I I really wasn't, um, committed to any of them. And, um, my friend, uh, my best friend at the time was actually interested in Manor's dental hygiene program, and she was going to an open house event, and she's like, "Hey, Jess, wouldn't it be fun if we like went to college together?" And I'm like, "Yeah, but you know, we're kind of going towards different paths." And she's

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like, "Well, I'm going to this open house for Manor. You should come along." And I'm like, "What? What's Manor College? I've never heard of it before." So, um, I was like, "Okay, you know, it can't hurt." Um, so I went and, um, I feel like when I went there and I got to, you know, meet my future professors and whatnot, I definitely got that sense of community and, um, just like that small class size really attracted me. Um, so, um, while I was kind of, you know, on my

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journey of deciding which college would be a best fit for me, um, I kind of in the back of my head that knew that like I was going to have to fund like 98% of my tuition. So, um, that was also a big factor. So, I scheduled a interview with admissions or I think it was like a campus visit with admissions and um, I brought my transcripts along. I had my dad with me and you know they're like hey you know your your transcript looks really good and you're involved in extracurriculars I think you would be a

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great candidate for our presidential scholarship which would be a full scholarship and then of course my dad's all like oh this is this is the college you should get through the process and um it went well I got awarded a full scholarship um so I think just between you know that assistance and um being attracted to those smaller class sizes is really like what drove my decision um to decide on Manor. And it's close to home, too. So, that's a huge plus. Yeah. I love that you kind of like hit

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multiple um points that like a lot of students resonate with like a friend, you know, word of mouth. A friend brought you there. You came for an open house. You met some people and you were feeling the vibe and we're like, "Okay, this is a cool place. I can see myself here." And then the financial piece comes in, right? It's not just about like good feelings and like cool people. It needs to work with your budget and what you can and cannot afford. So obviously having a really strong high

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school um performance really helped get that great scholarship and then you know other factors like convenient to home and having the right program and just seeing the opportunities that you could have. So that's great. I'm so happy that that all kind of worked out for you in that sense because it can be super daunting for high school students or transfer students to figure out where am I going to go? Is it the right fit? There's so many there's so many factors to consider. So, I'm glad multiple

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factors aligned for you. Um definitely felt like it was the right place for you to be 100%. I was very fortunate in that regard. It's just I'm a very indecisive person too. So for the fact that like Manor aligned for me that much um definitely grateful for them. That's awesome. So what was your Manor college experience like? Take us back. What was it like being a student? What were you involved with kind of what was it what was it like for you during your college days?

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Yeah. Um so I definitely feel like um I grew a lot at Manor. So, I remember just like my first day coming to campus and just like not really knowing how like college works. I mean, I had a little bit of knowledge, not really knowing how the real world works. And I just like get to the campus and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I'm here. What do I do?" I was just like a blank slate for me. M um but um I just think Manor was like the perfect place cuz there's such a sense of community and um I think you

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know this everyone from the staff to uh the professors to your peers like everyone's just like there to want to help you and help you succeed and you know um be that guide for you and just like the sense of connection at Manor was just amazing. Um, I think the thing that really helped me was the small class sizes just because, you know, I am a bit of an introvert. Um, I was even more introverted back then and, you know, I my goal a lot was to just like blend in with the crowd and just kind of

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go with the flow. But I think being in those smaller class sizes gave me a space to really just like um, speak out more and like participate in meaningful dialogues. And I think, you know, that portion of my college learning was just so important. I maybe didn't like realize at that time, but just like looking back, I think, you know, being able to articulate a point of view and, you know, hear opposing point of views and just, you know, being more engaged in general. Um cuz I definitely feel like, you know, I

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I think big colleges are great for um certain people, but I know for someone like me, I feel like I I am the type of person that could maybe just tune out um if I was like in a 100 plus. Um but I feel like, you know, like being engaged is really what kept my focus. Um so I'm very grateful for that. And then obviously like the sense of community. Um my professors were great. Um, not only did they help me in my classes, but um, just like getting ready for my career. I didn't know how to write a

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resume. Um, so my accounting professor was very helpful. Um, she definitely just kind of showed me what to say, like what employers are looking for, etc. Um, and we got my first resume down on paper and it looked pretty good. Um and then she also helped me secure an externship which um at least back then there was an externship requirement um for the associates degree in accounting. So um I was able to get that and it was a great opportunity. Um I got to dabble in some tax work which you know it was

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great but I also learned that tax wasn't for me. Um so that and then I think just you know I made some like relationships that um you know were very important. So, um, as you know, I actually met my fiance at Manor. So, that was kind of a big deal. Kind of a big deal. Met the love of my life at Manor College. You know, we're getting married. Shout out to Carlos. Yes. Yes. We're so happy for you. I was going to say, did you meet anyone special at Manor? That was funny cuz uh Oh, sorry. Go

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ahead. Go ahead. We just We just love We I love and we love like we call them Manor matches. Whenever there's a manor match, we just Oh my gosh, I love that. You're a manor match. Yeah, that say that. Yeah. Um, uh, so we actually met my first year. I feel like, you know, I think was a big transition year for me. I was just kind of absorbing, taking it all in. But, um, I actually went to a couple of the masses that they offered, um, on campus. And, um, so the sister that was there at the time, um, she asked me to

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participate in the graduation mass as like a volunteer to help out. Um, so I went to that graduation ceremony and I sat next to him and um, we're both practicing Catholic, so we just kind of bonded over that we were both kind of like knew what was going on and what we were doing. Um, and then the year after that we just kind of kept bumping into each other. We became like really close friends and then, you know, after the fact, um, we both transferred to Leo and then eventually uh, we started dating each

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other and the rest is history. Oh, that is so cute. Oh my gosh, that's beautiful. I love that. That's actually great, too, because um while we weren't dating at Manor, um my he was a speaker at our um college at our graduation and um my grandma was there and she didn't get to formally meet him, but um she did get to see him. So, um she unfortunately passed away um before we started dating, but I can officially say that like she saw him, right? like she heard him or knew him and Oh, that's so sweet. I love that.

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Yeah. Well, how how special to be um you know, not only your college experience was like I got a degree, I built some confidence, I got out of my shell, but then also bonus met my husband. That's beautiful. I love that so much and so happy for you and Carlos. And I know November 8th is the big day coming up just about two months away. It's going to be beautiful. Um yeah, that's awesome. So, Jess, talk to us about your um accounting passion. How did you know that this was a a career that you wanted to pursue? Um I think

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accounting sometimes gets not the greatest reputation. So, may maybe you can help us understand and unlock why accounting isn't so scary and so daunting and you know what's the good parts about it. Yeah, sure. Um, so, um, I would say it maybe started in high school. I was more into my math classes. I really like dealing with numbers and problem solving. And I will say it's like, you know, they say we think with different sides of the brain. So, someone who's into like the mathematics um, you know,

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they definitely I think it's the right side of your brain. Um, you definitely have to have um, I guess that passion or that desire or that um, interest in numbers. So, I personally just like I found that was my favorite class. I really like problem solving. Um just like getting to the right answer. So that was just something I was personally interested in. And then I took accounting as an elective in high school. Um and I was like, you know what, this kind of like blends like my interest in problem solving with I what

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I feel is like a practical career choice because um you know, I think you know, the job market always is doing a lot of things, but especially at that time, I feel like you know, you're always going to need accountants. Um it's a great field to get into. there's a lot of demand. Um there's a lot of different directions you can go into. Um not just tax, there's like tax, there's audit. Um some people get into like financial planning and analytics. Um there's just a lot of things you can

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do with an accounting degree. Um so I think just like enjoying that elective, I was just like, you know what, I think this is practical. I like I like it. So um I'm just going to study it and see how it goes. And I was also very fortunate in that regard because um I know some people kind of like use the first couple years of college to figure out um what they want to do, which is great. Um and I've had that open mind too, like you know, I don't want to feel like just because I picked accounting

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from day one that like I if I didn't find something else that I think would be a better fit, I I would have pursued that avenue. But it just so happened that like, you know, I felt reinforced in my decision as I was going through um the program. That's great. I love that you felt um kind of like reassured as you were going through the program like, "Yeah, oh, accounting. This is definitely my thing." It's practical. It's applicable. And it's also pretty broad. You

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can do a lot with an accounting degree. You can go a lot of avenues. You can go tax, you can go audit, you can go CPA, you can go financial planner, you can get all sorts of other credentials that really just build your career. Um, and also, you know, for you, you graduated in 2012 from Manor. So, you were in high school during the '08 recession, which like was just a time of turmoil and very unsecure in the economy and job security. So, I could see how having that mindset of like practicality for my

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college degree needs to be like a first. I can I can totally see that. Um that makes really good sense. So, te tell us about what um what are you currently doing for Hand and Stone Massage? Um and kind of what's it like working for kind of a a pretty large company here that's um in the massage industry and in the spa industry? Yeah. So, um I well I was doing like consulting because um I did some auditing work and then um I went to a firm called CFGI just because like I was like I'm ready to take that next step

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but I kind of want to get exposure to different projects. Um so I was able to get that experience which was great. So I'm like you know I want to take a shot in like the industry like um I think previously like for the first nine years of my career I was in the client service so I was always like jumping from different projects working with different people and it was great, but I was like, you know what, I'm gonna be in like a more stable role. Um, so I actually was like working with a

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recruiter and they um reached out to me about this opportunity. So I'm like, "Yeah, why not?" Like I feel like it'd be fun to work at a spa. Um, and they actually um their head office or their corporate office is located in Trivose. Um, and I grew up in Ben Salem, so I was like, "Oh, you know, yeah, right there. That's kind of very interesting." Um, so I went through the interview process. They gave me the job offer and I'm like, "Yeah, this is this is good." And it was

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definitely like a new experience just because um, you know, back to what we were saying about account, there's so much different things you can do. And I think my experience was definitely more um, focused towards the financial reporting side of things. Um, so like financial statements, auditing those financial statements, whereas this role um, I'm really diving into like the day-to-day operations. Um, so you know, we're responsible for making sure the company's bills get paid. Uh, we are a

00:18:20
franchise, so um, you know, every week we bill the franchises, royalties, marketing, etc. Um, just, you know, the run-of-the-mill expenses that we um, pass off to them. And, um, you know, just making sure providing audit support, making sure the books and records are accurate. Um, cash management's a big component of what we do. Um, so just making sure that like you know we're keeping the place up and running day-to-day and I think it's really good for me to get that experience because I

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definitely feel like um I've definitely been more on the financial reporting side of things. So I'm definitely learning a lot. Um it's definitely rewarding um just like some of the process improvements and stuff that we're implementing and you know getting the audit done in a more um robust fashion I guess. Yeah. So that's great. And then you get great perks. get a free facial every month and you get free products. So Oh, that's nice. Oh my goodness. Well, that is really nice, too,

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obviously. Um, but that's so cool that you feel like in your career that you've had like you're kind of like rounding out the different areas and you're trying and I think it's so frankly inspiring that like you're willing to like try new things. You want to learn new things. You're not kind of like, well, I've gotten really good at this and I'm going to stay with this. you're like, "No, I'm going to push myself and I'm going to learn more." That's a great

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skill. And I think that's something that I think about our mission and in our mission. We say we want to um educate students to become like lifelong learners to serve society with compassion. And I feel like you're certainly doing that. So, thank you so much for truly being like a walking embodiment of what the Manor College mission is because that's spot on to what we're trying to do here for our students. Um, so what's like a myth or like um something we can debunk

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about um accounting that people are getting wrong, but it's maybe um a myth that's out there that we can kind of say, you know what, this is set the record straight. This is not accurate. I would definitely say um we don't all know how to do taxes. My first five years, all your friends hitting you up for taxes. Do your taxes. I'm like, you do not want me to do your taxes. I promise you, you do not want me to do your taxes. Okay, that's a good one. So, I definitely would say that. Um I

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think my family understands now, but it took them a while, right? They think I think they thought I was just saying no and just like making it up so I didn't have to do it. I'm like, "No, you don't understand. I I literally don't do taxes. I I don't know. I will I can put it through Turbotax, right? And Turbotax will tell me what to do, but that that's right. So can I. Yeah, that's what I do. Okay. Yeah. So, not all Gins can just do your taxes for you. That's definitely a good one.

00:21:11
Um, so Jess, what advice would you give to Manor College students who are kind of in their own career uh college journeys right now? what advice would you give them based on all this wisdom that you've gained over these years? Yeah, I would just say um don't be afraid to like get involved. Um you know, I feel like Manor just has so much um that you can get involved in, so much you can participate in. And it's just kind of up to you to be like, "Okay, yeah, I'm going to I'm going to do it."

00:21:39
Um just like ask people questions, get to know your peers, get to know your professors. I feel like um one of the fortunate sides of Manor is it is a very inclusive environment and I feel like it's a very welcoming environment. So even if you're more on the introverted and shy side like you're going to get like a good reception. Um you just kind of have to take that first step of faith in yourself and faith in the community and just like you know just put yourself out there and like rewards will come. So

00:22:07
um I think you know just uh get involved see what you like and I think going back to like you know trying new things like um you know there might be an elective or there might be an activity that you don't know you like and then you try it and you're like oh actually I am interested in this. So I think just take advantage of all the wonderful things that Manor has to offer you. Oh that's great. Yeah involved try new things. This is a time kind of like why not you know? Yeah, I always scenario.

00:22:35
Yeah. No, I always say it Manor like you just you can't really hide unless like you're trying to hide. Like if you if you want to hide, fine. You know what I mean? That's Yeah. But like if soon as you step out of that bubble a smidge, we're going to notice you. You're we're going to help you. Like and that is the best way to really um just like feed into yourself. You know what I mean? Like get and it'll open up doors. It'll open up networks. You never

00:23:03
know who you're going to meet. You can meet friends, your boyfriends, girlfriends, you know, professors who are going to change your life and give you job opportunities. So, um, that's great advice and I think it's really tried and true. So, thank you so much. Thank you, Jess, for being with us today. It's been awesome talking to you, wishing you and Carlos nothing but the best. Um, and thank you so much. We are cheering you on every step of the way. Thank you, Kelly. I appreciate it.

00:23:32
Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube. Stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest. Stories about life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always.