Jude Hajhamad majored in finance, but after an internship in that sector, he concluded that he wanted a different path. “Frankly,” he says, “I always enjoyed my accounting classes a little more than finance, so a MAcc program seemed like the natural next step. And I’m still a numbers guy, so I thought Valuation was more the track I wanted to follow rather than the traditional Audit.”

Jude considered Wake Forest, where he earned his undergraduate degree. But earning a MAcc there, he says, would have required 1 ½ to two years for non-accounting majors. Vanderbilt could get him to his goal in less than 12 months.  

He hasn’t regretted his choice. “I really don’t think there is a better place for you to thrive. Not only will you grow technically, you’ll also grow in terms of soft skills, networking, and development,” says Jude, who grew up in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. “The professors are unlike any I’ve ever come across. They really care about your well-being and your growth, both inside and outside of the classroom. I was able to develop relationships far faster than I would have at any other school.”  

The program’s close relationships, including built-in internships with Big Four accounting firms, were also key to Jude’s success in landing where he wanted to be. “The firms will host happy hours or coffee chat sessions for you to meet people in audit or valuation and get a feel for the team and their culture,” he says. “It’s extremely valuable because there’s no way you’ll be able to find that out just from their website, and not many schools offer an opportunity like this.

“When I met with the PwC team, we really hit it off. They have a big valuation practice in Atlanta. When I told the recruiter I wanted to start my career there, she introduced me to a plethora of people to get my network going.”

The network at PwC added to the one Jude was already building at Vanderbilt. He’ll miss the weekly Closing Bells—his favorite Vanderbilt tradition—and the Tuesday get-togethers with his MAcc cohort. “Whether it was playing sand volleyball, organizing a quick kickball match, or just hanging out together, the laughter and shared memories strengthened our camaraderie and made the entire experience feel more like a supportive community, rather than just a program.”