Sheila Medina immigrated to the United States from Peru with her family at age 15, arriving in an unfamiliar place in which she did not speak the language. While challenging, it did not prevent her from graduating from West Hill High School in Stamford or enrolling at Norwalk Community College, where she completed an associate’s degree in accounting.

Medina then turned her focus to the next hurdle she would surmount: where could she obtain a bachelor’s degree most cost-effectively?

Medina knew she didn’t want solely a bachelor’s in accounting; she wanted to find a way to combine it with a minor in technology. When she started exploring her options, she quickly realized that other universities placed accounting in one school or division while IT was in another — making it virtually impossible to study both to obtain a major and minor simultaneously in about two years.  

A first-generation student, Medina began asking questions about how she could accomplish her goals.

“My accounting professor told me about Western Connecticut State University, and that my NCC credits would transfer there, Medina said. “I spoke to Dr. Richard Montague, chair of WCSU’s Management Information Systems department. He told me that at WCSU, I could do a double major in MIS and Accounting. Not only that, but everything was in one place in WCSU’s Ancell School of Business. This changed my whole idea of what I could accomplish!”

Before attending WCSU, Medina prepared tax returns in Trumbull as the firm’s only bilingual accountant. Once on campus, she became an Ancell Commons tutor, which allowed her to study, earn money, and complete her double major in two years and three months. She also became president of the WCSU Accounting Society, a National Society for Leadership and Success member, and obtained a Leadership, Compassion, and Creativity certificate.

As completion of her studies in December 2021 approached, Medina began applying for job opportunities. She received offers from a mid-sized accounting firm where she had a summer internship and from the Trumbull tax preparation office.

“At the same time, I applied to Deloitte and received an offer to join them in the Risk and Financial Advisory department in Stamford as an analyst,” she said. “I chose Deloitte’s offer because it allowed me to utilize my two majors in one place, and this was the opportunity I had been looking for since the day I decided to be a double major student.” 

Medina started her job at Deloitte in July. Looking back, she said, “It wasn't easy to give up time with friends while taking six classes a semester to make my goals real, but with effort and commitment, it is possible to achieve anything in life. WCSU made it convenient: a short commute; affordability; and professors who were easy to talk to pushed me to do more and provided great advice. They encouraged me to join campus organizations, which gave me so many contacts and helped strengthen my resume. I paid my own way and received a grant from WCSU, so I am starting my new job loan- and debt-free. This is a big accomplishment, and I’m ready for my new adventure, feeling very blessed and happy.”

To learn more about Western Connecticut State University, visit www.wcsu.edu/admissions, email admissions@wcsu.edu or call (203) 837-9000.