In his few years at UHart, Robert Freeman ’25 has traveled to Florida for a DECA conference, participated in the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team, and completed an internship after his sophomore year—all while double majoring in accounting as well as business analytics and managerial economics.
DECA is a national organization which prepares emerging leaders in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. The Barney School of Business hosts the only collegiate chapter of DECA in the state of Connecticut. Last year, Barney sent Rob and other DECA members to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida. Rob says the conference gave him the chance to network with professionals from around the country and learn from their experiences. He also got to network with his peers, and to present during the competitive portion of the event. Overall, he says DECA gave him a unique opportunity for professional growth and he looks forward to attending again this year.
In the summer of 2023, Rob worked at CohnReznick as an audit intern. He says every day he faced new challenges and had the opportunity to learn from generous and enthusiastic colleagues. He says he learned three key lessons:
- Always ask questions. Understanding what you need to do, how to do it, and when it needs to be done is critical for success, and your support group will always help you because they want you to succeed.
- Be flexible. The real world is not like school. Deadlines change, unexpected problems arise, team members get sick or are reassigned, and you’ll often have to rely on several people to finish a project. It’s important to be comfortable with changing tasks often or taking on new responsibilities.
- What you put into your internship is what you get out of it. Try to be exposed to a wide4 range of work and to network with other interns and professionals so you can learn more about the industry.
Rob says his biggest lesson was about the importance of a team. “Not only is teamwork crucial to success, but being able to trust your team is invaluable when working in an industry like public accounting,” he says.
A defining part of Rob’s time at UHart happened outside the classroom, on the Ultimate Frisbee team. “I am deeply grateful to have been a captain on the team for two years,” he says. “I’ve learned not only how to be a strong leader, but how to be a good friend and the value of forming close relationships.”
His favorite part about the Barney experience? “The people. My professors are all good communicators and are very generous with their time. Their demeanor in the classroom and their willingness to help speaks to how much they care about their students’ success.” Rob says Dean Celia Lofink has been one of his favorite people to work with, particularly when planning DECA events. “She has always been extremely kind to me and everyone I’ve ever seen her work with.”
After graduating, Rob plans to pursue his master’s degree, pass the CPA exams, and launch into an accounting career. His final advice for incoming students is simple: “Be proactive. Getting ahead means you’ll never be behind.”
Robert Freeman ’25, Barney School of BusinesMake friends. As a person who mostly keeps to themselves, I’m very grateful for the connections that I have made during my time at UHart and in the Barney School. There’s a great saying that goes, “You are the sum of the five people who you spend the most time around.” I feel like this perfectly describes the value of friendship and meeting new people at college. Forming connections and learning more about other people’s experiences will help you figure out who you want to be in life.