Monica Murphy
University of Wisconsin School of Business
“A visionary leader that exemplifies the true UW motto of work hard, play hard.”
Fun fact about yourself: During the start of the pandemic, when retailed was closed, I converted my garage into a temporary marketplace where I sold unwanted items for neighbors and turned a profit for all those involved.
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
High School: Madison Memorial High School
Major: Accounting
Minor: N/A
Favorite Business Course: I loved taking Audit and Assurance with Amanda Carlson. This class was so interesting and I found it valuable for my future accounting career.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Student Organizations: Women in Business (WIB) – Social Director (Spring 2018), Organizational Analyst (Fall 2019), Pioneered Diversity Director (Spring 2019), and Vice President of Member Development (Fall 2020)
Community Involvement: Girls’ High School JV Soccer Coach at Fort Atkinson (Spring 2021 and 2022)
School Honors: Wisconsin School of Business Direct Admin (2018) and Business Emerging Leaders (BEL) Scholar, Cohort 1 (2015-2022)
Academic Scholarships: Harry H. and Nancy L. Vernon Accounting Scholarship, Schauer Minority Scholarship in Business, EY Global Mindset Scholarship, Deloitte Accounting Scholarship, Onni R. Harju Scholarship, Lawrence J. Larson Undergraduate Scholarship, and Business Emerging Leaders (BEL) Program Tuition Scholarship
Where have you interned during your college career?
Deloitte: Discovery Intern, Virtual, Summer 2020
Deloitte: Audit and Assurance Intern, Hybrid/Milwaukee, Summer 2021
Deloitte: Audit and Assurance Intern, Houston, Summer 2022
Where will you be working after graduation? After graduation, I will return to the University of Wisconsin for the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program. After graduation from the MAcc program, I plan to work at Deloitte as an Audit and Assurance assistant in their Houston, TX office!
Who is your favorite professor? I’ve had so many great professors during my time at UW, but I would have to say my favorite professor is Lindsey Ackers because she made Tax fun and interesting for me. She always made time to meet with me outside of class and truly wanted me, and the rest of her students, to be successful.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Say ‘yes’ to opportunities with an open and curious mind. Take classes that sound interesting (and not the ones to pad your GPAs), attend networking/employer events, and participate in conferences and business student organizations. These activities will help expose you to different careers and paths in business, that might lead to a passion in a business-related field.
What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I am consistently surprised how a business background can translate across many roles and professions. Business is everywhere and a lot of the skills learned can be transferable to other disciplines and areas of life.
What business executive do you admire most? I admire Dan Nash, a Senior Manager at Deloitte. Nash serves as a mentor, role model, and friend. I had the opportunity to intern on one of his engagements and admire his positive outlook, inclusive leadership, and commitment to diversity within the accounting profession.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of creating the Diversity Director position in Women in Business (WIB). WIB is a student organization that’s mission is to empower women in business. When I was an organizational analyst, I noticed the lack of diversity (within members demographics) and organization inclusion efforts and decided to take the initiative to address it. I brainstormed with executive members and leveraged my personal experiences to create the position with the goals to recruit diverse talent, plan inclusive and informational diversity events for members, and to make a lasting impact on our Madison community. I’m very proud that, since the creation of the role, WIB is the most diverse in terms of race, experiences, and majors than it ever has before! In addition, there have been dramatic changes made such as requiring leadership diversity and inclusion recruiting training, mandatory diversity event point requirements, and focusing on bringing diverse professionals and companies to talk to members. I’m excited to watch the continuous growth of the position and organization’s diversity goals as a WIB alumni.
Which classmate do you most admire? It is my right-hand accounting friend, Jadyn Syverson. Jadyn is easily the most hard-working, determined, inclusive, smart, and kind-hearted person I know. I admire Jadyn’s never-quit mentality and I’m thankful I have surrounded myself around such bright individuals, like Jadyn.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? Frankly, I can’t thank just one person for my success. Alexis Burns, Kristen Fuhremann, and Karen Stoud-Felton are people who have helped, supported, and guided me over the last four years. I also thank my parents (Robert and Michelle Murphy), grandma (Diana Hinton), friends, and everyone else for helping me find success.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Pass the CPA exams and work on an international assignment in Brazil.
What are your hobbies? I like to hang out with family and friends, watch/play/coach soccer, and foster kittens.
What made Monica such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?
“Monica gives back to the WSB in many ways. As a Business Emerging Leaders (BEL) scholar, she has mentored many of the younger BEL students, lifting them up through hard times (and hard classes) and being a resource to help them navigate their time in the WSB. Monica served on panel for the Howard Carver Ethics & Professionalism program about inclusiveness in the WSB – as a sophomore! Her poise was pretty amazing. She proactively looks for peer connections in courses for shared accountability – one of the only students who I have observed doing this regularly. Monica will complete her 3rd internship with Deloitte this upcoming summer – she will then go on to complete the MAcc program.”
Kristen Fuhremann
Director of Professional Programs in Accounting
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