Accounting alumni find major return on investment with their degrees

Photo: Geoffrey Pollock (left) and Reagan Mosrie both found success through the Accounting Specialist Technical Certificate and the Associate in Science in Accounting Technology.

No longer will we accept the idea that being an accountant is boring! Seminole State College of Florida alumni Geoffrey Pollock and Reagan Mosrie prove that accounting is a field for problem-solvers who take challenges head-on. Whether it is your first time in college, or if you are coming back to reskill for a new career, these alumni prove that accounting is a solid investment!

Geoffrey Pollock

Before starting his career in accounting, Pollock spent 12 years working at Publix, but knew his path to a better job was through education. However, Pollock, like many first-time-college students, needed direction when he started. “I didn’t know what career I wanted, just that I liked math,” he said. “So, I talked to my professors and they steered me towards accounting since it combined both math and problem-solving.” After taking his first accounting class, Principles of Financial Accounting, he knew instantly: “I thought ‘This has to be my path. This is what I’m doing.’ It just made a lot of sense to me.”

Due to cost, he wasn’t sure how long he could attend school, so he started with the Accounting Specialist Technical Certificate, building onto it to achieve the Associate in Science in Accounting Technology. “I heard of people getting a successful job with a two-year degree,” said Pollock, and he has proved that to be true. He began working for Canteen Vending Services in reconciliations, making sure invoices were entered and paid, and that inventory matched what was in the system. He now works in accounts payable for the Insurance Office of America, working on a team to make sure the branches of the company are up to date on all of their bills. “It is surprising how much what you learn in class makes sense when you are working in the field,” said Pollock. “With accounting it all feels exactly the same as what you learn in class.”

Pollock found his path at Seminole State through talking to his professors about his interests and using the resources available to him. “The counselors I worked with were on point,” said Pollock. “And I would definitely recommend the program. I saved a lot of money, and it helped me go to school affordably. I feel like I got my money’s worth and I use what I learned.”

Reagan Mosrie

Mosrie was already a full-time mom with a degree in fashion merchandising when she decided to return to college and go back to work. Seminole State offered her a convenient way to build upon skills she already had. “I knew I kind of liked accounting since I had a minor in business administration,” said Mosrie. “It was just an idea; I didn’t know if I was going to stay with it long term, but once I was there I really got into it.”

After completing her A.S. degree, Accounting Program Manager Terri Walsh connected Mosrie with her first entry-level job in accounting doing bookkeeping. She was at the position for just seven months before a new opportunity presented itself at the Florida Autism Center. While she started part-time as a payroll coordinator, her job at the Florida Autism Center quickly turned into a full-time career. Mosrie spent five years at the company, eventually becoming their head accountant, exposing her to the varying financial responsibilities of running the business. “From year to year you are always working on something different, working on new processes and systems,” Mosrie said. “You think of the stereotypical boring accountant, but accounting is really fun! I get up every day, and I like going into work. There is always something new to learn.”

Recently, she has started a new job as a senior staff accountant at Vensure Employer Services. “If anything, there has been more work to do during the pandemic,” she said, explaining that there is an abundance of accounting work to be done regardless of whether a company is growing or downsizing. For those looking to jump back into a new field after being out of the workforce, Mosrie encourages them to take the dive. “A lot of people worry that they can’t get back into the workforce and they can’t get a good job after being out for so long, but that is not true. If you put your heart and soul into it, you’ll get good returns out of it,” she said.