In many cases, students do not have their career paths fully determined upon graduating from high school. Danielle Gaffney, a College of Business alum, was no stranger to this feeling.
Reflecting on her past, Gaffney acknowledged, “When I was going to high school, I had no idea what I was going to do. I just knew I wanted to get it done quickly. My mom then suggested, ‘You’re really good with numbers. Why don’t you try accounting?’”
Following her mother’s advice, Gaffney applied and was accepted into the UCCS College of Business with an emphasis in accounting. Gaffney’s introduction to the wide world of numbers was with Associate Teaching Professor of Accounting, Sheri Colcun-Trumpfheller.
“And she just made things click!” Gaffney said. “I appreciated the way she taught and how she made the material more engaging and interesting,” she added. “She was also the one who suggested I become an accounting tutor. It’s funny because now, a lot of what I do, is train staff. Tutoring kind of gave me a taste early on and I found it very fulfilling!”
While at the College of Business, Gaffney secured an internship with Stockman Kast Ryan + Co, an accounting firm located in Colorado Springs.
“Just six months after starting the internship I got hired with the firm, and from that point on I never stopped,” Gaffney said.
Thanks to the flexible course schedule offered by the College of Business, Gaffney graduated from UCCS in 2013 in just three years, while achieving the distinction of summa cum laude at graduation.
Today, Gaffney is navigating her newly appointed position as Tax Partner at Stockman Kast Ryan + Co, a significant achievement for any young professional. Gaffney’s day-to-day includes coaching and training a team of about 12 people, while helping clients with tax advice, getting them prepared and reviewing tax documents.
She adds, “I like learning about people’s goals. So, when working with both clients and staff, I get to learn what their dreams are and how I can help get them there.”
When reflecting on challenges in her career, Gaffney recalls receiving a bad performance evaluation. While she got reasonable marks for the technical aspects of her job, Gaffney struggled early on with maturity in the workplace.
Gaffney took the evaluation fairly hard. However, she came to realize that those evaluating her weren’t doing so because they were out to get her – they were offering suggestions because they wanted her to do better, to succeed. Through this experience, Gaffney learned she had to “change the narrative” and understand that sometimes you need to be able to take the feedback that is given and learn to grow from it.
Though still transitioning into her new role, Gaffney wants to continue to grow her staff, her knowledge, and solidify her own path forward. And that includes raising her three-year-old son.
For those wrestling with the weight of career uncertainty, Gaffney advises, “Don’t worry too much about it. Think about something that you want to try and go for it! It’s okay to fail, just learn from it and move forward confidently in whatever you choose. You shouldn’t follow anyone else’s path. You should create your own.”