Kensley Elliott always knew what she didn’t want to be: a doctor, lawyer or teacher. But even as she was graduating from Duke with degrees in Economics and Psychology, she was unsure about the career path she wanted.

In fact, as she completes the MAcc program at Vanderbilt, the southern Virginia native still admits, “I’d be lying if I said I have specific career aspirations.” However, even if she doesn’t know what form it might take, Kensley believes that she ultimately wants to be involved in helping underprivileged youth, building on her college experience with first-graders through DukeEngage, an immersive service program. “I could run a business of my own, work for a nonprofit, or continue in public accounting and serve on a board and volunteer often.”

What she is certain of: “Public accounting is a great way to launch a career and gain a wide array of business knowledge. I knew it would be nice to have a more specific and marketable skill set, and I loved that I could complete a graduate degree in one year and not have to worry about leaving work later on, to return to school.”

Kensley was drawn to Vanderbilt because of the MAcc program’s reputation and the class size. “Nashville,” she says, “was also a great pull” for any country music fan. But, once she arrived, she discovered a bonus: a community feel and passion reminiscent of her undergraduate experience with Duke basketball (she’s still celebrating their most recent championship).

Kensley appreciates the environment so much that she’s become an official ambassador, one of three campus visit coordinators for the MAcc program who run open houses and welcome weekend for prospective students. “This has been one of my favorite parts of my year at Owen,” she says. “I love getting to pass on my enthusiasm for the program to next year’s class.”