Follow your PURPOSE
Elyse Jares, 2014 & 2015 accountancy alumnus
External Auditor – Financial Services, KPMG, New York, NY
Hometown: Antioch, IL
Quick Career Bio
I graduated with NIU’s Bachelor of
Science degree in accountancy in 2014
and then earned the NIU Master of
Accounting Science degree in 2015. I
started my job with KPMG in New York
City at the end of September 2015
(approximately 3 months after
graduation). KPMG is one of the
Big 4 public accounting firms. I
will be an external auditor in the
Financial Services industry.
What’s your best memory
of your years as an
NIU Business student?
My best memory would be
pledging Delta Sigma Pi, which
is a co-ed international business
fraternity. I was a transfer student
at the time, so it wasn’t easy meeting
new people. Joining DSP
helped tremendously
with that. Many of the
best friends I made
in college came from
DSP. I met a diverse
What is one piece of advice that
has stuck with you and helped
you throughout the years?
After high school, I participated
in a 10-month volunteer program
overseas. During the first week, one of
the leaders said something along the
lines of “when you love your purpose,
you will succeed.” We had to fundraise
for the projects we wanted to do in the
islands. Fundraising is not easy or fun
at all, but I believed in what we wanted
to do in the islands and that’s what
kept me motivated every day. I started
to apply that same philosophy in my
life. If I was given a project at work that
was mundane or that seemed to be of
little importance, I would try to see the
bigger purpose behind it. I constantly
try to remind myself what my main
purpose is. That’s truly what drives me.
Tell us your “Why?”
I wouldn’t be where I am today
without my two mentors. They saw
something in me before I saw it in
myself. They believed in me and have
supported me from the moment they
decided to be my mentor. That was
five years ago. They have invested their
time, commitment, and resources to
help me succeed. They are my why. I
want to be in a position where I can
give back and change someone’s
life just like they have done for me.
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group of people who are driven
and motivated to succeed. They
also liked to have a lot of fun.
I would highly recommend
joining some sort of organization.
It’s a great way to meet people you
might never have crossed paths with
otherwise. It makes your college
experience all that much better.