Holly Kilgore (BBA '03, MSA '04)

Cox MSA Program Helps Alumna Achieve Professional Goals

• Briefly summarize your educational and professional experience before you attended the Cox School.

I came to SMU from Paris Junior College (in Paris, Texas) where I spent one year obtaining an Associates degree in science. At the time I intended on pursuing a career in the medical field, however upon completion of the Associates degree, my professional interests switched gears to business, specifically towards accounting and real estate finance. After a brief visit to the campus including a mentoring session with undergraduate counselor Betsy Bayer, I fell in love with the beauty and size of the campus and felt confident that Cox not only had the strongest programs in my areas of interest, but was also dedicated to making my transition to the business school smooth by helping me select the timing of my courses.

• What kind of degree (BBA, MBA) did you pursue at Cox, and what program (Full-Time MBA, PMBA, EMBA) were you in?

I received a BBA in Accounting in May 2003, fulfilling requirements for Real Estate Finance degree as well.  In May 2004, I obtained my MSA.

• Which courses did you take that were most helpful in getting you to where you are today, and who were your professors in those courses?

Audit and tax with Professor Jeff Austin were my two favorite courses.

• What were the most important skills you acquired, lessons you learned, and experiences you had in these courses?

Many classes incorporate a group project element into the curriculum.  The communication, presentation, organization, and negotiation skills utilized in these team projects have been invaluable to my career. I currently work in a team-oriented environment in which all of these skills are used daily in working with clients and team members.  Some of the most memorable academic experiences I had at SMU stemmed from opportunities to talk and listen to SMU alums and other business professionals through the mentoring program, numerous professional speakers in the classroom, Real Estate Society meetings which brought dozens of local real estate professionals on campus, and other business luncheons students were invited to attend.

• What value do you think the Cox network provides to students and alumni? 

Attending the MBS luncheon enabled me to keep in touch with the new programs and activities at Cox through conversation with current students and administration. It was a great opportunity to share my post-collegiate experience with a student hoping to pursue a career in my current field of expertise, public accounting.

• What year did/will you graduate from Cox? 

BBA in Accounting May 2003 and MSA May 2004

• What were/are your professional goals?   

My professional goals upon graduation from SMU were to obtain my CPA license and pursue a career in accounting where my interest in the real estate industry could be utilized and sharpened.

• What progress have you made toward achieving those goals since you graduated from Cox?  

I currently have my CPA license and work in the Audit practice at Ernst & Young serving real estate clients.