Dream Job

By Cinterra Lucas

Tanise Cannonier is a 19 year old from Liberty, NY. Her hard work and dedication is surely recognized even now as a sophomore in college. Tanise desires to become a Certified Public Accountant, and based on the interview I had with her she is well on her way:

Good Afternoon Tanise, how are you? Thank you for taking time out of your day to sit and talk with me.
Tanise: Good Afternoon, Cinterra, It is my pleasure to sit down with you this evening.

Okay, so tell me a little about yourself.
Tanise: I grew up in a small town upstate in Sullivan County; I always had the desire to become successful in anything I do. It was not until High School when I took an accounting class and realized that this is something I want to do for the rest of my life. I then found my passion for business.

That’s good; so basically your upbringing allowed you to want something better and greater for your life?
Tanise: (smiles) yea, pretty much.

What are you doing now to try and work towards your goals?
Tanise: I am currently a sophomore at St Thomas Aquinas College pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.

How has school been going for you and what made you choose St Thomas Aquinas College?
Tanise: School is well, at times it can be difficult, but what college student doesn’t find it to be difficult (chuckles). While searching for colleges I was looking for a medium that was not too far from home and not necessarily too close. Small class sizes created an intimate setting which was a plus. I was intrigued by the accounting program here because I have the ability to connect with successful graduates and experienced professors who were very knowledgeable in the field of accounting.

I agree with you, college has the tendency to get the best of you, and it is indeed very difficult. It seems that academically you are determined to do very well, but what do you do besides academics that may be beneficial for your career?
Tanise: I am currently employed at St Thomas Aquinas College’s Alumni Affairs; which allows me to connect personally with successful people. I work very closely with the President and Vice President of the College, as well as the board of directors. My job title is to prepare events and provide help for funding for the school; they’re always reassuring in my future; if I need assisting with networking they are always available. I feel very privileged to have these opportunities outside my academics.

That is really impressive--not a lot of people are granted the honor to be able to work so close to such successful people. So you say you are a sophomore?  
Tanise: (Laughs loudly) Yea, it’s amazing how all these opportunities came to me so fast. I thought this opportunity would come to me in junior year or senior year, if that. See when you go to these large universities, it doesn’t always work out like that.

You are absolutely right; so say it was the year 2015, what would your ideal year look like?
Tanise: Ideally I hope to have graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting and have a job as an accounting associate (pauses)--KPMG would be nice; I would hope to be further in my goal to become a CPA by starting my master’s degree in accounting that summer.

What is KPMG?
 Tanise: It is a very well-known accounting firm stationed in New Jersey; there is opportunity for growth and they support recent graduates.

Thank you for clarifying; I would also like to thank you once again for taking the time out of your busy day to sit and talk with me, it was greatly appreciated. I wish you nothing but success and greatness in your future; even though it is evident that you are well on your way to the top.
Tanise: It was a pleasure to sit and talk to you; I hope we have the chance to sit down and talk again at a later date to see how my goals have transpired.