Grace Finney

High school: Moline High School

Hometown: Moline, Ill.

Majors: Business administration – finance, accounting, art history 

Activities: Camp Kesem at Augustana

Internships: Student administrator at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; business tax intern at Honkamp; accounting intern at Modern Woodmen of America

Post-grad plans: Full-time audit assistant at Deloitte in Davenport

Why Augustana?

Growing up in the Quad Cities, I was always aware of Augustana College and its reputation as a good school. I would go to events, performances and even Kaleidoscope art classes at Augustana. So before I even thought about college, it was already a second home. 

Once the college search started, I naturally applied. The ability to be a commuter student, enjoying the benefits of living at home while attending such a great college was appealing. Ultimately, I became a Viking!

Are you where you thought you'd be when you first came to campus?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I applied to Augustana as an elementary education major, started my freshman year as a biochem major with a pre-law track, and am finishing as a triple major in finance, accounting and art history. 

What I thought I was going to do and be has changed drastically, but for the better. At Augustana, I was able to explore different paths and discover what I really loved.

Who helped you get to where you are now?

My advisors are the ones who helped me the most get to where I am. My first-year advisor guided me in exploring the many paths my college career could take. She was instrumental in helping me figure out that I did not want to pursue a career in the sciences but instead in business. 

Once I was a sophomore, I had advisors specific to my majors. They helped me explore the different paths I was interested in. They also worked to help make sure I would be able to graduate as a triple major in only four years. They helped prepare me to be eligible for a CPA and pushed me to participate in events that led to multiple internship and job offers. 

I will always be grateful to all the people that helped me at Augustana, especially my advisors who have always gone above and beyond to help me.

Peak experience?

My peak experience was participating in the CFA Case Competition. I worked with three other Augie students to generate a financial report on the subject company, General Mills. We then traveled to Des Moines to compete against other schools in the Iowa CFA Case Competition. 

We presented our months of hard work and research in front of a panel of judges. While we didn’t win, the opportunity to push myself and work with an awesome team of students was definitely the peak of my Augustana experience.

What surprised you?

The opportunities I was given to learn, grow and network really surprised me about Augustana. There are a ton of opportunities to attend career fairs, network, attend special lectures and more throughout the year. These experiences helped shape the career I was working toward.

How did you use your Augie Choice?

I haven’t yet! Learn from my mistake and use your Augie Choice when you can. I thought I was going to use my Augie Choice during my internship I had planned as a senior instead of during my first internship. Instead, I received a full-time job offer that I accepted, but that meant no more senior internship.

What will you miss the most?

I will miss the sense of community the most. I feel like Augustana students care about and look out for one another, even if you may not know everyone. The community feeling that the college fosters is really special, and I will miss it once I leave.

Advice for the Class of 2029?

Focus on building résumé experiences and learn how to market yourself. Get involved in leadership positions — not only will you make friends, but you will start building your résumé experiences early. Work with CORE to learn how to answer interview questions and sell yourself!