Kayoko Komatsubara
MSA Student
"I'm not only getting a quality education, but also many opportunities to get to know the needs of local businesses and actually meeting with them to network. Kelley's strong connection to local businesses was one of the reasons I chose to continue here."
As a high school student in Japan, Kayoko Komatsubara dreamed of going to college in the United States. Coming to the U.S. – first in 1999 and then again in 2001 – Komatsubara realized her dream, earning a bachelor's degree in finance from Kelley Indianapolis in December 2006. Today, she's taking it one step further as a student in Kelley's Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) program.
"I was thinking about how to use my finance degree and decided accounting would be a good field," says Komatsubara. "I'm looking forward to earning my CPA designation to help me get a better job."
In addition to her MSA classes, Komatsubara is working at a local accounting firm as an intern – a position she found through Kelley's Career Placement Office (CPO). The job is tailor made for Komatsubara, who is learning about auditing, while serving as a liaison and translator in dealings with one of the firm's Japanese clients.
Komatsubara says the MSA courses are challenging, but she has received a lot of support from Kelley faculty members and others in the school.
"The professors and instructors are very helpful," she says. "Other faculty members help me whenever I need guidance, and the topics we study always seem to reflect current issues and trends in the industry."
