Summertime Networking: Justin Fox and Kieran Vrklan

Justin Fox and Kieran Vrklan, Accounting Mentorship, Deloitte Tax LLP

The opportunity this summer to be mentored by Rob Massey, a partner with Deloitte Tax LLP, is just too good for Justin Fox and Kieran Vrklan to pass up, even if it can’t be in person.

“Deloitte being one of the Big Four firms, as well as being a global leader in accounting, will help me tremendously in my career. Having this experience on a resume will open many doors ,” says Kieran, who is home in Carlsbad where he grew up.

Says Justin, who is from Santa Clarita, “I find this experience helpful because in today’s world it is about who you know and having Mr. Massey by my side will help me achieve the goals I want to achieve. Having a connection of someone as well-known and respected as him will help me in my goal of having an internship at Deloitte during my time at Dominican and maybe even a career there in the future.”

Justin and Kieran were led to Massey at the urging of Courtney Budesa, director of Internships and Professional Development in the Barowsky School of Business.  Massey, who has worked with many Dominican business students over the years, is a longtime professional acquaintance of Dr. Denise Lucy, founder and executive director of BSB’s Institute for Leadership Studies.

“I have met with Dominican alumni working at Deloitte, and they have helped increase my interest in accounting,” says Justin, who was encouraged to consider an accounting career by business professor Dr. Christopher Leeds. “After talking with the alumni, I was hooked and wanted to pursue accounting.”

Last month, the Dominican students participated in a Zoom group conference call with Massey to talk about their career ambitions in accounting. Those mentoring sessions have continued through the summer. The students have had a chance to ask Massey questions and learned how he progressed from college student to firm partner.

“We discussed how his title was created as he is the head of cryptocurrency and Blockchain at Deloitte,” Kieran says. “We also learned about how you rise through the ranks at a Big Four accounting firm, as well as how to begin a career as an accountant/CPA.”

Kieran (soccer) and Justin (lacrosse) came to Dominican as student-athletes and were immediately attracted to its business school and its reputation. A number of its graduates have had internships or jobs with Deloitte, so Kieran has tapped into that network.

“They have been very pleased with Deloitte and love their jobs, which is a good sign for me entering into a career in accounting,” Kieran says. “I chose business as a major because of its flexibility within every aspect for career paths. I picked accounting because it will give more insight into a company and due to modern economics and our ever changing economy it will allow me to help others manage assets in the future.”

Kieran suspects he and Justin one day might be completing entry level accounting work under an experienced employee at Deloitte. They are finding plenty of support on campus going forward.

“My faculty, staff, coaches, professors, and fellow students have all been very nice. They all support you when you need it and you return the favor when they need it,” Justin says. “It is truly the small school aspect that I was looking for when searching for a home to further my education.”