Anna Russo

Providence College School of Business

“Defining my version of ‘La Dolce Vita’ one ambitious cup of coffee at a time.”

Fun fact about yourself: I appeared on two episodes of a Bravo hit TV series.

Hometown: Huntington Station, New York

High School: St. Dominic High School

Major: Accounting

Minor: Women and Gender Studies

Favorite Business Course: Taxes and Business Decisions taught by Dr. Julia Camp

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• President of Student Alumni Association at Providence College
• Treasurer of College’s Against Cancer at Providence College
• COVID-19 Contact Tracer for the Long Island Region of New York
• Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Teen Advisor representing the Northeast at the National FARE Teen Summit in Washington, DC
• Implemented the FARE Teal Pumpkin Project at my hometown’s annual trick-or-treating events
• NBA Cares Volunteer – Traveling to different cities completing various projects like school beautification, helping at food banks, and building playgrounds.
• 3-Day Intensive Data Analytics & Visualization Bootcamp at Providence College
• PwC Challenge Case Competition- 2x participant, 1x student mentor to a team
• Providence College Dean’s List

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Clarkson Hyde Commercialisti & Avvocati: Milan, Italy – Accounting Intern
• Capstone Investment Advisors: New York, NY – Management Company Accounting Intern
• Providence College Department of Athletics: Providence, Rhode Island – Sports Information Administrative Assistant

Where will you be working after graduation? This upcoming summer, I will be working at PwC in their tax practice at the NYC office. After this internship at PwC, I will be attending NYU Stern School of Business in the MS in Accounting Program.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor within the business school is Dr. Julia Camp.  You can tell that she has a passion for her career and it translates into her teaching.  I not only learned valuable material, but a different way of thinking when being confronted with a certain problem or decision.  She cares for her students outside of the classroom and their success. She has always been there for me, whether it was about career advice or a simple pep talk!  I would be remiss if I also did not mention the support and amazing lessons from Dr. Abigail Brooks director of the PC women’s and gender studies program. With the teachings of Dr. Camp and Dr. Brooks, I have been able to define both literally and metaphorically the saying “know your worth, and then add tax.”

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson is how universal the term “business” is and, no matter what your major is, how it can translate into many different opportunities.  I like hearing the backgrounds of all my business professors and seeing how diverse their career paths have been. I am grateful for being taught by such successful people. They encourage and excite me for my career ahead.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Do not be afraid to stand out and be open-minded.  It is okay if you dream a different career path than your peers within your school or major.  It is okay to be unconventional.  At the end of the day, it is you who will be showing up to that career everyday so do not lose sight of your personal happiness and passions.  Stay determined in your business studies, but also take advantage of learning topics beyond your declared major. Even within just business, there are so many different, valuable courses to take!  It may spark an interest you never had before.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? The importance of networking and human connection.  It truly is the “business of people.”  The amount of knowledge I have gained outside the classroom, just by being outgoing and talking to alumni, faculty, and even peers, has been a pleasant surprise to me.  I have made so many valuable relationships and connections throughout my Providence College career that not only helps further my business aspirations, but day-to-day life as well.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I tend to be an introvert and overthink raising my hand.  I wished I asked more questions and challenged more ideas while learning them for the first time. One of the many amazing lessons I learned in philosophy courses taught by Dr. Vance Morgan is the beauty in disagreement and questioning things and how one can react to such situations.  Your knowledge of a topic can go significantly deeper with engagement and participation in listening to and understanding both sides of a story or a stance. Do not be afraid to speak up!

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of being the first female intern from the United States at Clarkson Hyde Commericialisti & Avvocati in Milan, Italy.  Adapting with not only the language and culture, but also standards like US GAAP versus IFRS made me realize there are so many different outlets within accounting and life itself. Learning that my overcoming the initial shock of cultural differences opened a whole assortment of similarities and growth opportunities for both me and the local Italians alike, motivated me to get out of my comfort zone more often.

Nothing can describe the rewarding feeling of when my Italian coworkers finally understood “TGIF” and vice versa when I comprehended the Milan slang of saying “tac” after finishing a difficult task, like functional currency translations. Interning in Italy taught me a lot of different accounting concepts along with endless life lessons while creating lifelong relationships. And it fostered in me a drive to continue my journey of experiencing different work cultures and making more diverse human connections.

Which classmate do you most admire? Chris Iadeluca ’21 – Even though the only words spoken between us have been in class discussions, those words have spoken volumes. Chris is a declared women and gender studies minor and I admire his desire to want to learn more about this topic. He is so involved with everything we learn and all his input in class is inspiring. I know he will be successful in whatever career path he chooses and will have the tools to be a driving force towards gender-based issues.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My Family! They are my constant reminder that you can achieve anything with hard work, passion, and determination. They motivate me to manifest my best-self and inspire me to make a positive impact for the greater good. Thank you Mom, Dad, and Victoria!

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• To one day gain enough wisdom and that “idea worth spreading” to host my own Ted Talk.
• To combine my studies of accounting and women and gender studies to drive positive social change, such as by creating a financial literacy empowerment program for young girls and women.

What are your hobbies? I consider myself a foodie and like to cook, travel to new places, listen to music, watch basketball, watch crime documentaries, and exercise.

What made Anna Russo such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?

“Anna Russo is an intelligent young woman with a big heart, amazing work ethic, and a powerful drive that will take her far in life. She brings a light to the classroom that encompasses all the students around her. It has been no surprise to see Anna excel in both her studies and early professional work. I still remember meeting Anna for the first time when she came to my office for advising.  She was smiling and full of energy, excited to talk about plans for the future. Her excitement grew while working as an intern while studying abroad. The internship fueled her interest in tax, even though she had not taken my tax course yet. She arrived in my tax class on the first day ready to go. When we chat about her professional future, she is truly excited about where she will be able to make a difference. Anna is deeply involved in community service and in particular, she is interested in financial literacy for women.   In addition to her major in accountancy, she is pursuing a minor in women and gender studies. She hopes to use her knowledge in these areas to make lasting improvements in society as a whole. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this bright young woman.”

Julia Camp, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Accountancy
Providence College

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2021