Soaring Beyond: Athear Nasery

Meet Athear! He is currently enrolled in UNT’s Bachelor of Business Administration program with a major in Accounting. He will graduate in May 2022. Currently, he is a Supplemental Instructor (SI Leader) for Financial Accounting at UNT. This summer, he will be working as a Finance and Accounting Intern at Santander Consumer USA in Dallas. 

 

We asked Athear some questions, advice for current students, and how UNT helped them to succeed and SOAR BEYOND!

When you started at UNT, what were your plans after graduation? How have these plans changed?  I have been enrolled at UNT at the start of the Fall Semester of 2019. After graduation, I plan to join a major corporation in Accounting or Finance within the DFW area. 

What advice do you have for prospective or current students as they decide what they want their next steps to be?  I highly recommend utilizing the many tools available within UNT or outside of it, such as the career center, professional school organizations, career fairs, and research and interaction with significant companies. Moreover, a student must attempt to join mock interviews or actual interviews to interface with potential employers and understand the process of recruitment and enhance their communication skills.  

How did your program at UNT help you to feel prepared for this role/program?  The Accounting program at UNT has expanded my in-depth knowledge in the Accounting world. I was fortunate enough to have a great professor who taught me the Financial and Managerial Accounting course (shoutout to the best professor at UNT: Professor Hillary Wang!). I now want to pass on my accounting knowledge to help other college students, and I want to apply my experience in accounting to a real-world setting. 

How did you find your current role/program?  I knew about SI Sessions because I attended them for some of my classes, and I found them very helpful. A classmate who worked as an SI Leader inspired me, and I felt confident enough to assume that role as well. I found the Accounting & Finance Internship at Santander Consumer USA on LinkedIn. I discovered that Santander is growing and expanding its presence in America. I thought it was an excellent opportunity to be a part of that growth and gain experience. I also loved the fact that Santander is a multi-national corporation that prides itself on diversity and inclusion. I knew this was a company I wanted to work given my diverse background.  

What was the most challenging interview question you were asked?  For the Supplemental Instructor job at UNT: “Tell me about a challenge or conflict you may have with a student in this role, and how you’re going to solve it.”  For the Accounting and Finance Internship with Santander: “Tell me about a time when you worked with a difficult team and had to meet strict deadlines.” 

 How did the Career Center help you?  The Career Center has helped me immensely, especially when it comes to enhancing my interview skills. Some examples of the help I received include Resume Building, Mock Interviews, and LinkedIn tips. A special thank you to Destiny Price, Beth Kent, Dee Wilson, and Brian Hirsch. 

Share anything else about your story/experience if you would like to that you haven’t already.  Although I have secured two jobs this year, I know this is just beginning a progressive career path. I plan to continue utilizing the career center to improve my interview skills further, and I look forward to more job opportunities in the future. 

Would you like to be featured in our Soaring Beyond Success Series? Submit your story here and email Jeanette Hickl. We’d love to share your story!

By Jeanette Hickl
Jeanette Hickl