Mary Caroline Wilcox

Mary Caroline Wilcox knows that success is built over time. From her first semester at LSU, she adopted a proactive approach by attending career events, networking with professionals, and cultivating relationships that would shape her future. Her efforts paid off, resulting in a dynamic network and a 2025 internship with Ernst & Young. 

Her top piece of advice for incoming freshmen? It's never too early.

"Although you might not have taken an accounting course yet, show up, talk to the recruiters, talk to the professionals, and just get your name out there. Let them get to know you. Stay consistent. When asking the recruiters and professionals what opportunities they had for me, there wasn't really anything at the time as I was a first-semester freshman. Still, it was those recruiters who, years later, told me that they remembered me.” 

Mary Caroline applies her all-in approach to relationship building with both peers and faculty. You can find her striking up conversations with new faces, seeking out faculty, and embracing opportunities to get involved. 

"That person that you decide to talk to on the first day of class could be your future business partner. Go to that meeting where you don't know anyone and don't stand in the corner. Make an effort to talk to someone new. Stay after class, and introduce yourself to your teachers. You never know what opportunities those connections will bring you in terms of friendships or the professional world."

Beyond networking, Mary Caroline honed her leadership and professional skills through campus involvement. As a member of the Deloitte Audit Innovation Campus Challenge team, she contributed to LSU reaching the finals in 2023. Through her participation with the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College, she successfully completed and defended her honors thesis on artificial intelligence in external auditing under her advisor, Associate Professor Sanaz Aghazadeh. 

Of course, any list of Mary Caroline's activities would be incomplete without Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), an honorary accounting organization for students and professionals in financial information. As competition coordinator and executive board member, she played a key role in helping the Phi Chapter secure first place in the 2024 BAP Best Practices Competition, sponsored by Deloitte. The group's victory was based on its innovative approach to fostering professional relationships. Following a win at the BAP Mid-Year Meeting, the Phi Chapter is preparing for another run at nationals in August 2025 

Mary Caroline credits BAP advisors Associate Professor Zhenhua Chen and Instructor Tracy Morgan with fueling the group's success and impacting her journey. 

"They go above and beyond in the time and effort they invest in our organization. Our recruiting success, exponential growth, and enhanced professional development opportunities for members would not have been possible without their unwavering support and commitment."

Following graduation in May, Mary Caroline will head to Dallas to complete an internship with EY. Yes, it's the opportunity that resulted, in part, from an interaction she had as a freshman. In the fall, she will begin a graduate degree in accounting and prepare for the CPA exam. Beyond that, she is considering a JD/MBA.

With a world-class education, hands-on experience, and a well-established network, Mary Caroline is poised to make a mark wherever her journey takes her.