Financial Analyst, Financial Analysis and Planning Department
Allied Waste Industries, Scottsdale, Arizona
Stacy graduated summa cum laude and was named a Bone Scholar, Illinois State University 's highest academic honor for undergraduate students.
She is pictured at the Allied headquarters in Scottsdale.
Area of Finance specialization: Business Financial Management
Hometown: Ottawa, Illinois
FIL 242 Investments and MUS 275 World Music. The investments course was challenging, and the competition to be the best helped everyone learn - which was, of course, the whole point. World music was a Gen Ed class I expected to absolutely dread, but ended up loving. We studied world cultures and even had musicians come to class to perform. The experience helped me see that value can exist even where you never expected to find it.
Millions of them - meeting my best friend, working on campus, being president of Financial Management Association, and spending time at Pub II. I found many opportunities to participate in activities outside the classroom. Meeting new people, joining organizations, and going to the Rec Center helped me have fun so that I could focus on my studies and make the most of my time in school.
My duties have included preparing regular financial reports to be used by management, sometimes even the Controller, CEO, or Board of Directors. A financial analyst must also be able to produce budgets and forecasts, and to do ad hoc reports like due diligence work when miscellaneous requests come in. I have even worked with acquisitions and divestitures. The ISU Finance program helped me to develop the technical knowledge, flexibility, and confidence to succeed in an analytical environment.
The program provides challenging course work, internship opportunities, leadership opportunities, and excellent instruction. What I valued most was the faculty. The professors have impressive credentials, and bring useful insights and real world experience to each class. They place a major emphasis on teaching; they are very dedicated and make themselves available to students, which I find quite impressive in a large university. From answering questions on course content to helping with a scholarship essay, I had professors who went above and beyond to assist me both with my studies and in my development for professional success.
