Assurance Director, PwC
Ernest has worked in the assurance practice at PwC for over 10 years. He has worked with public and private clients in a number of industries, including energy, industrial products, media and entertainment and technology. He most recently worked in a digital role, where his primary focus was helping to develop new tools to be used across the assurance practice. What he enjoys most is working with clients and his teams to complete a common goal.
Why did you come to choose the UT Dallas Accounting Program?
I changed majors to accounting my sophomore year. At that point, I knew about the reputation UT Dallas had for academics. I knew that reputation would be upheld regardless of the major I selected. I chose accounting as a result of advice received from family members who had previous experience.
What is your best learning experience at UT Dallas?
I learned about the importance of building meaningful relationships. To this day, I have friends from school who I can call for insight and encouragement. Since graduating, I’ve even worked directly with some of them. I have professors, who I consider to be mentors, that I can still reach out to for advice. Building meaningful relationships is a key part of what I do today in my profession, and I really feel like that was a key learning point I took from UT Dallas.
What is your favorite UT Dallas memory?
My favorite UT Dallas memory was traveling to Ohio for the NCAA Elite Eight tournament. Even though we lost the second game up there, that trip was definitely a great way to finish off my college basketball experience.
What advice do you have for college students looking to succeed professionally?
You never stop learning, and change is constant. Get used to learning something new and facing new challenges every day.
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