Class of 2021: Aaron Bilbie

Aaron Bilbie is an Accounting and Business Administration dual major from Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania.

When I took my first step on the Hill, I was: Nervous but excited to meet new friends and my new teammates.

The me who will ring the Old Main bell on Commencement Day is: Excited to be graduating and starting the next chapter of my life, but it is a bittersweet feeling having to say goodbye to the good friends and teammates that I met at my time at McDaniel.

Real world experiences: The internship that made the most impact on me was the time that I spent at Gorfine, Schiller & Gardyn P.A. At GSG, I worked as an audit intern on a team that specialized in Employee Benefit Programs. It gave me more hands-on experience than I was expecting and the people that I met there were very smart and helpful.

Footprints I’m leaving on the Hill: The footprints that I am leaving can be seen on the soccer field as well as in my fraternity. On the soccer field my fellow teammates and I inspired a culture of working hard in every time you get on the field and working just as hard when you are in the classroom. Hopefully my time in both of these organizations will inspire others to become the greatest versions of themselves.

Professor who most influenced who I have become: My accounting professor Kerry Duvall inspired me to work hard in the accounting field and strive to get an offer at one of the “Big Four” accounting firms. She always pushed me and her other students to work hard and always held us to the highest standards.

Took me totally by surprise: Something that took me totally by surprise is the amount of classes that I found interesting when I was taking classes outside my major. Taking these classes not only gave me the tools to think outside the box but they also gave me the freedom to expand my interests and hobbies. For example, a history class that I took sparked my interest into reading about the history of the two World Wars.

My favorite spot on campus: My favorite spot on campus was by far the soccer field. Just being out and playing the game I love helped me relieve stress and enjoy the time with my teammates, no matter if it was game day or just practice.

My capstone: Business Strategy & Policy

What it’s about: My capstone was a course that relies on the case method to provide a challenging environment to apply knowledge that was acquired in the major. We used skills learned in accounting, economics, finance, and marketing to solve problems, analyze different companies business policies, and learn how companies can implement different strategies to their benefit.

What’s next: I will be working at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Baltimore as an assurance associate after I graduate. I also will be studying and taking my CPA exam to become a certified public accountant.