From rebuilding Auburn University’s club field hockey team to being an ambassador for Harbert College of Business, senior Meghan Braiewa will leave a lasting impact when she graduates in the spring.

Braiewa, who is from Monroe, Conn., decided to move south for college to expand her network and meet new people. Braiewa toured Auburn’s campus during her sophomore year of high school.

“The community feel was just very different than the other schools I went to, and everyone here seemed genuinely happy to see each other,” she said.

She made the final decision to attend Auburn after returning for a tour of Harbert College. According to Braiewa, hearing about the benefits of the college’s accounting program made her feel like Auburn was the right fit due to her interest in the field.

Braiewa is secretary of Harbert Executive Society, a host and leadership organization consisting of distinguished Harbert College students. The Executive Society promotes the college by conducting tours, attending recruiting events and interacting with alumni.

“I've made a lot of friends through the Executive Society, and we're all really close as well,” said Braiewa. “Having those relationships that I know are going to stay with me even after we graduate and move to different cities is something that I don't think you can ever replicate anywhere else.”

Braiewa is an active member of Beta Alpha Psi, an honorary and service organization for accounting students and professionals.

“Harbert really does a great job of encouraging all of their students to get involved early, and that definitely helps down the line with internships, job offers and [gives] you a community that will be around you to support you,” said Braiewa.

Last summer, Braiewa interned with Delta Airlines in Atlanta, working in their financial reporting department. For her main project, she was a part of the accounting innovation team, which focused on implementing new accounting software within the company.

In the spring, Braiewa will intern with Ernst & Young, one of the Big 4 global accounting firms. She learned about this opportunity through the school of accountancy’s “Meet the Firms,” a networking event for accounting students.

According to Braiewa, one of her greatest accomplishments was her role in rebuilding Auburn’s club field hockey team. When she joined as a freshman, the club consisted of seven members.

“My sophomore year, I took [the club] over and was able to grow it to 30 or 40 girls, and we were able to start playing Alabama and Vanderbilt and Georgia. We were able to have our very first home game ever at Auburn,” said Braiewa. “That's definitely one of my bigger successes, I would say. It’s something I'm very proud of.”

The club field hockey team was also able to attend their first national tournament in Virginia Beach, she said.

After graduating in May, Braiewa plans to continue her education at Auburn through the Master’s of Accountancy program. Auburn Master of Accountancy students have achieved an average pass rate of 85% on the CPA exam compared to the national average pass rate of 49%.

With this certification, Braiewa plans to work as an auditor in a public accounting firm.

###