Hope Zouzas

Faculty members have made a “monumental” difference for Manning School of Business student Hope Zouzas.

When she switched majors from computer science to business as a sophomore, it was Associate Teaching Professor Laura Christianson who identified her knack for numbers and encouraged her to pursue a concentration in accounting.

During her junior year, it was Accounting Professor Khondkar Karim who nominated her for a $15,000 scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Zouzas submitted the required forms in March and “forgot about it” until June, when she learned that she was one of 676 business students from across the country to receive the prestigious award.

“It was so surprising and nice to win,” says Zouzas, a commuter student from Chelmsford, Massachusetts. “It’s a huge help financially, and it’s also very motivating. It shows that people are noticing the work that I’m putting into school.”

And Zouzas is putting in the work.

In addition to accounting, the Honors College student is concentrating in management information systems “to help introduce me to different technologies, like artificial intelligence, so I’m better equipped for any kind of workplace.”

During tax season, she has worked as a co-op at LGA, LLP and an intern at Schwartz & Schwartz PC.

“It was interesting to see how the tax department can be so different in different places,” says Zouzas, who shares her experience with other students as vice president of the Accounting Society.

She has also participated in the Manning School’s Business and Entrepreneur Scholars in Training (Business & Entrepreneur Scholars in Training (BEST)) program. Serving as a research assistant to Associate Professor of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Denise Dunlap and Ph.D. candidate Lani Faith Gacula, Zouzas investigated the impact of AI and technology on mental health to aid in suicide prevention.

“That was a good way to get my feet wet with research, to see if that’s something I might want to do more of in the future,” says Zouzas, who presented her work at UMass Lowell’s (UML's) annual Student Research & Community Engagement Symposium.

But right now, Zouzas is focused on a future in public accounting. She already has an internship lined up after graduation at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), working in the Big Four accounting firm’s digital assurance and transparency department.

Zouzas also plans to continue on for her Master of Business Administration (MBA) (she was accepted to UML's Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Program) before getting her Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

While navigating a college degree and thinking about the future can feel “overwhelming” at times, Zouzas says her professors have made all the difference.

“You form a connection with them. You can bounce ideas off them and talk about your career options,” says Zouzas, who credits Christianson’s guidance in particular. “She’s been monumental in getting me into accounting and believing in myself.”