Jana Walker’s focus on the future
Jana Walker has been reaching for her professional dreams since she was 14 and dual-enrolled in courses that she believed would interest her 30 years in the future. This focus on pairing aptitude with lifelong learning set her on the path to becoming an accountant, and she has never looked back.
Holding three internships at The Kellogg Company; Gould, Stinson & Comer, P.C.; and Deloitte, she has been able to explore corporate finance and has taken deep dives into tax and audit. All of that great experience made Walker a prime candidate as she entered the job search. “My internships taught me what professionalism looks like,” she notes. She received five job offers, eventually committing to Deloitte, where she will join the audit practice after completing her Master of Science in Accountancy at WMU Haworth in summer of 2023.
Getting to the point where she was juggling multiple job offers and making friends along the way wasn’t something that happened on its own—Walker took the initiative and the Department of Accountancy provided many opportunities to engage with employers and fellow students.
“What stands out to me about WMU Haworth is the people,” says Walker. “A lot of accountants tend to be introverted, but they love to talk to people. The people I have met at the Haworth College of Business have been exceptional and amazing, and they have gone above and beyond to make me feel welcomed and included.”
During Walker’s first year at Western she joined the Accounting Club and the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), seeking out opportunities to connect with others on campus as a transfer student. NABA eventually led to her first internship at The Kellogg Company through a connection she made with one of the organization’s guest speakers. Eventually taking on the role of vice president in NABA, Walker saw that she could contribute to the programming that had been so instrumental in her professional and social development.
Her commitment to doing something she enjoys for life is a net positive as she moves toward her future. “As I near the end of my educational pursuit, I have come to love all that accounting has to offer. What excites me most about my field is the limited sense of predictability. I have met people in unique roles who demonstrate what is possible in accounting, and more generally business as a field.” Hear more from Jana.