Kerri Keledjian

After 14 years running her own tutoring business, Kerri Keledjian was ready for a new challenge.

Keledjian wanted to remain connected to business, but no longer wanted to be a full-time entrepreneur. She was drawn to public accounting, where she could combine her interest in the financial side of organizations with her strengths in analytical thinking, problem-solving and building relationships. 

“I love the concept of business, and I still wanted to do something in that field,” Keledjian says.  

So she enrolled in UMass Lowell’s online certificate in accounting program through the university’s Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies. The six-course program is designed for people who have earned bachelor’s degrees in disciplines other than accounting. Upon completion, graduates are prepared to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in Massachusetts and have fulfilled the undergraduate requirements for a master’s in accounting. 

Keledjian completed the program in two years — and began a new career as an audit associate at Nash CPAs in Norwood along the way. 

“The program helped open up that pathway into the profession for me,” she says.

Originally from the Chicago area, Keledjian explored several fields in what she calls her “college decade,” including computer science, business, interior design and pharmacy. She eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood development from Mount Ida College and became a licensed Massachusetts educator. 

Rather than work in a traditional school setting, however, Keledjian started her own tutoring business, Beyond the Chalk. She managed every aspect of the business, including client relationships, curriculum development, marketing, finances, record-keeping and compliance.

When she began looking for an accounting program, Keledjian wanted a rigorous, affordable program that would prepare her to sit for the CPA exams. She also valued the flexibility of completing the certificate remotely.

UMass Lowell’s online program checked all of those boxes.

“I kind of wish I started here back in my 20s,” she says.

Having attended several colleges and universities, Keledjian says UMass Lowell was the first school that truly pushed her academically. Its courses required her to understand the material rather than simply memorizing it, while exams demanded the kind of preparation and critical thinking she expects to encounter on the CPA exams.

“I know I need to be challenged, because otherwise it’s just too easy,” she says. “I don’t like easy.”

Keledjian also appreciated the support and personal attention she received from her professors, including Alison Sawyer and Stefanie Tate. Sawyer’s auditing course connected directly to Keledjian’s career goals, while Tate became a valued resource as Keledjian navigated the university’s programs and planned her next steps.

“She’s a great professor,” Keledjian says of Tate, who is chair of the accounting department. “She answered all my questions.”

Midway through the certificate program, Keledjian received a scholarship through the New England Society of CPAs’ Pipeline Partner Program. The opportunity ultimately connected her with Nash CPAs, where she began working as an audit associate. 

At Nash, she performs financial statement audits, reviews and compilations for nonprofit and private clients, testing internal controls and preparing workpapers.

“I was able to apply everything that I learned in my accounting courses immediately to my current position,” she says.

Completing the program while working full time was demanding, particularly when she took a course during Nash’s busy season. 

“It was hard. It was exhausting,” she says. “But I saw the goal at the end, and I said, ‘It’s only one semester, and I can get through this.’”

Now, she is preparing for the CPA exams and considering whether to first pursue a Master of Science in Accounting at UML. She is also interested in eventually specializing in forensic accounting, where she could combine accounting with investigative work.

Whatever direction she takes, Keledjian says UMass Lowell gave her the technical knowledge, connections and support to begin her new career.

“I went into this not knowing what was going to happen, where I was going to work, what I was going to do,” she says. “Before I knew it, I was already launched into my new career in accounting.”