Lori Wang’s wide-ranging interest in new experiences and learning new things has always helped her discover what she likes to do — and what she doesn’t. Since age 15, she has worked as a waitress, retail sales associate, camp counselor, data entry assistant, social media intern and movie extra.

 At the University of Pittsburgh, where she also played on the club tennis team, Lori pursued a major in photojournalism. The experience helped her conclude that photography was just a hobby. “I realized I wouldn’t enjoy it as a career,” she says.

In her junior year, she took an Intro to Financial Reporting class and “absolutely loved it.” Rather than switching majors, which would have required at least one extra year at Pitt, Lori followed her professor’s advice: Graduate in four years with a major in Finance, then apply to a MAcc program. It would still involve another year of school, she realized, “but I would end up with a graduate degree in accounting rather than just my bachelor’s.”

Vanderbilt was always her top choice. “There are very few MAcc programs that cater to non-accounting majors and allow them to graduate in a year,” she explains. “It ended up costing less than my other options because I was paying for one year of classes versus 1.5 or even two years.

“I also knew I wasn’t just going to be taking classes but also getting to know people who would be some of my closest friends for life.” And the former North Carolina state high school tennis champion was even able to pursue one interest that has remained consistent over the years. At Vanderbilt, played on the club tennis team.

Fun Fact: As a movie extra, Lori had a literal brush with stardom when she walked past Russell Crowe.

“There is no way I could have become the businessperson I am today without the resources that Owen provided.”