Diego Ortiz is receiving his graduate degree from Indiana University in Accounting and in 2024. His undergraduate degree was also at IU in Finance and Accounting in 2023.
Why did you choose to major in accounting?
Everyone tells you accounting is the language of business, but it’s not until you have some real-world experience that you see that thought come to fruition. I did not see accounting as the language of business, I saw it as the dictionary that could allow you to understand the complex language of business. I found that to be a valuable skill to learn.
Was there a course/project/group/interaction, etc. at Kelley that has been particularly helpful to you in your career?
I relate to being thrown into the middle of the ocean and trying to find a way to an island and settle there…I had the opportunity to help a local bakery in Vietnam value its business and go to work in person and experience the culture for two months. They treated me as the expert and gave me a substantial amount of creative freedom as to how the project was going to be delivered, which I found challenging but also very rewarding.
What was your favorite part of being an accounting student at Kelley?
The projects you’re exposed to and the quality of professors in the Accounting department are severely underrated. The best professors I’ve had during my time at Kelley have been accounting professors, they have a way of applying the academic side and relating it to something that happens in the “real world”, which I can connect with because you know that the information being transmitted is valuable.
Drawing on your career experiences, what advice would you give to future Kelley Accounting students?
My main advice is to expose yourself to anything that catches your eye, even if it may be uncomfortable at first. One of the biggest skills I’ve learned is being comfortable being uncomfortable, you learn this through trying things you don’t usually do. Exposing yourself to the unknown and having to handle it in real-time. If a club interests you, join it, if an organization calls to you, join it, if a class sounds cool, enroll in it, if a program sounds cool, network and interview for it. Try to take advantage of the time in your life you’re in to expose yourself to as many things as possible.
What was your favorite accounting class at Kelley?
As I’ve mentioned, classes like A-505 and A-569 have been my favorite ones, as I’ve found them to be the most valuable. You get to learn “real world” skills that you can apply not only in your professional life but in your personal life as well.
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