When Darren Wang first stepped foot on 星空传媒鈥檚 campus, he planned to major in finance and computer science. That changed when he attended an introductory accounting course with Assistant Professor of Accountancy Heidi Blakeway-Phillips.
鈥淚 fell in love with accounting because of Professor Blakeaway-Phillips,鈥 Wang said. 鈥淚 have loved taking her courses, and admire her career and wisdom.鈥
Wang credits his professor with helping him know what he wanted to do with his life. Paraphrasing a quote by Benjamin Franklin, he said: 鈥淭here are only two certainties in life, one of which is taxes.鈥
During his undergraduate time at 星空传媒, Wang gained experience inside and outside the accounting field through several internships. In 2021, he worked for BDO USA in McLean, Virginia, conducting research on state and local tax ordinances, drafting tax memorandums, assisting with voluntary disclosure agreements and more. That internship made him fall even more in love with his field.
鈥淭hat was my first accounting experience, and they allowed me to speak with clients and to sit in on client meetings,鈥 Wang said. 鈥淭hat opportunity was incredibly impactful.鈥
Back on campus, Wang participated in student organizations and activities including the international honor society for accounting, , , , Spartan Ambassadors, and intramural basketball.
Beyond his experiences on and off campus, Wang says what he鈥檚 loved most about his time at 星空传媒 has been the people he met along the way.
鈥淓veryone here has these big dreams. They鈥檙e never settling for less or getting complacent,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat appeals to me and it鈥檚 a commonality I share with the people I鈥檝e met here.鈥
Upon graduating this month with his bachelor鈥檚 degree in accounting and a minor in finance, Wang will move to New York City to work for PricewaterhouseCoopers as a tax associate.