Accounting Advisory Council Stories

Representing PricewaterhouseCoopers on Costello’s Accounting Advisory Council as vice council chair, Nicole Stroud has a particular interest in the pipeline of talent entering the profession to not only her firm, but also the profession at large.

Shabinaaz Mahdi, BS Accounting ’12, discovered a passion for accounting at the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University. While in school, she was introduced to Baker Tilly, a leading advisory tax and assurance firm, where she has risen through the ranks to become partner.

When Liz Lowery, BS Accounting ’18, first decided to enroll at George Mason University, she had yet to figure out which field she wanted to study. Coming from a small town, she was immediately drawn to the faster paced environment, academic opportunities, and access to Washington, D.C., that Mason offered. After a few classes, she found that her accounting course was the first time she was truly challenged in school, and that was the challenge she needed to stay engaged.

Shortly after transferring from Virginia Commonwealth University, Carrie He, BS Accounting ’20, MS Accounting ’21, felt the pull to change career paths and study accounting.

An active board member and past chair of the Accounting Advisory Council at the George Mason University School of Business, A.J. Eschle, BS Accounting ’08, MBA ’12, works with the accounting area to prepare students for the accounting profession and to ensure that the school’s programs are where they need to be.

Ishrah Ahmed, BS Accounting ’16, had been studying pharmacy at St. John’s University before she moved to Virginia, where her husband Saad Ahmed, BS Information Systems and Operations Management ’17, was enrolled in the George Mason University School of Business.