#WhitmanWatch: Ashley Thombs

Ashley Thombs

Class of 2014 undergrad, Class of 2015 grad

Majors: Finance and Accounting (undergrad); Master of Science in Accounting (grad)

Hometown: Tarrytown, N.Y.

For Ashley Thombs, busy isn’t just a word she uses to describe her day—it’s how she describes her lifestyle. A graduate student pursuing her Master of Science in accounting, Ashley also serves as a teaching assistant for ACC 151, responsible for facilitating two recitation sessions per week. Additionally, she works in the Whitman Career Center as a graduate student career assistant.

As an undergraduate student in Whitman, Ashley also kept herself busy with a number of different involvements and leadership opportunities. At Whitman, she was a member the professional service fraternity Beta Alpha Psi and served as the organization’s treasurer. She was also a Whitman Peer Facilitator for three years, advising incoming Whitman students and helping them acclimate themselves to life at Syracuse.

Additionally, as a member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority Ashley served a year term as treasurer and was involved as a member of the SDT National Collegiate Leadership Team. Finally, as an undergraduate she was actively involved in Hillel and served as the engagement vice president for a year. Ashley said that being so busy has been beneficial by teaching her to multitask and manage her time more efficiently.

Outside of Whitman, Ashley has had a number of internship and job experiences that have contributed to her success in accounting and finance. As an undergraduate, she spent two summers as a financial management intern for General Electric’s corporate headquarters, a position which she obtained through participating in the Whitman Career Center’s “Wall Street Goes Orange” program. This past summer, she interned for KPMG in the real estate tax department.

Ashley credits her many faculty mentors and the Whitman Career Center for helping her to secure these positions and start her career in finance. “I am so fortunate for the opportunities I have been given here at Whitman,” Ashley said. “These internships have been an excellent supplement to my education through providing me with invaluable hands-on experience.”

Following graduation, Ashley will be launching her career in accounting as a real estate tax associate for KPMG, where she will begin work in the fall of 2015. In the future, she hopes to pass the four CPA examinations to become a CPA.

Ashley’s time at Whitman has certainly been well-spent, and she will be missed by many when her time here concludes this spring. We’ll be watching as she continues to build a successful career in finance and accounting and represent Whitman wherever she goes!