The call of free doughnuts can be powerful, and for BYU Marriott School of Business student Emily Holden, this call led to her major at BYU and her eventual career. A Yakima, Washington, native and a lover of the outdoors, languages, service, and yes, doughnuts, Holden is excited to use the accounting abilities she has gained from the School of Accountancy (SOA) to serve not only the business world but also the environment she loves and the underprivileged communities she aspires to empower.
When her high school began requiring students to participate in a club, Holden was drawn to the business club by its promise of free doughnuts. Not long after the club’s first meeting, Holden was hooked, but not on the doughnuts. “Because I eventually became so active within the club, I wanted to do something in business,” she says. “I looked at my options and gravitated towards accounting. I’m an introvert, and I liked the idea of sitting at a desk and doing my own thing.”
Drawn to accounting by its promise of autonomy, Holden came to BYU in 2017 and was later admitted to the SOA. Having graduated recently in April 2022, Holden is excited to combine her passions with her acquired accounting knowledge to improve the lives of others on a full-time basis.
The daughter of a Brazilian father and a mother who teaches Spanish, Holden has a passion for learning languages. She is currently learning French and is also fluent in Spanish, a language she hopes to use in conjunction with her accounting abilities to assist native Spanish speakers.
“I have experience working in the volunteer income tax lab here at BYU Marriott, which gives accounting students the opportunity to help other BYU students file their tax returns. I hope to continue doing similar services once I graduate,” says Holden. “I’m excited to help underserved communities, especially native Spanish speakers, prepare their taxes”
In addition, Holden hopes to serve on the boards of nonprofit organizations that seek to protect the environment. Her love for the outdoors grew when, as an 11-year-old, she completed a 100- mile backpacking trip around Mt. Rainier with her father. “I would love to sit on a board for a nonprofit that's in the environmental sphere and help out in that sector,” says Holden.
One of the greatest lessons Holden has gained from her time at BYU Marriott is how to approach accounting, as well as life, with upstanding ethics and moral values. “The BYU community has a strong code of ethics,” expresses Holden. “This gives students common ground to stand upon and sets us up for success in our futures.”
Before taking on a full-time position as an auditor for Baker Tilly, Holden and her husband, Michael, plan to spend five months backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail, a trail that spans the entire West coast of the United States, beginning at the California-Mexico border, passing through Oregon, and ending in Washington. Completing this extensive 2,650-mile trail is something Holden has dreamt of for years.
“I love the achievement aspect of backpacking and recognizing what I’ve accomplished,” says Holden. “Walking the entirety of the Pacific Crest Trail is a unique experience that not many people have done, and I’m excited to travel through so many different landscapes.”
Having recently left BYU Marriott and soon embarking on her wilderness adventure, Holden is appreciative of the ethics and life lessons that were instilled in her throughout her time in the SOA. Whether she is traversing mountains or crunching numbers, Holden will continue to employ dedication she has developed throughout her time at BYU Marriott.
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Writer: Marissa Lundeen
