Preparing for Partnership
Danielle Moncure’s journey to partner closes in, thanks to early habits formed by Walsh
As a newly minted political science grad, Danielle Moncure (MAC ’14) found herself job hunting during one of the worst recessions on recent record. As bad as it was, 2008 became a turning point for Moncure, whose dream of law school turned into a hard assessment of which fields were thriving… and which were not. “I need to pivot,” says Moncure, a Detroit native who now lives and works in Dallas Texas, with her husband, Herman, who is also a Walsh alum. “I took inventory of my skill set, and numbers and math were always a strong point for me.” After studying the various possibilities, Moncure settled on accounting as a potential career path.
“It seemed to be a field where they were actively hiring,” Moncure says. “It became a natural move away from law.” Moncure, who says she is a “natural type A,” wrote down her life goals, which included earning an advanced degree in her new field of choice. Another dream? Making partner at one of the big four certified public accounting firms that conduct audits for corporations: PwC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and KPMG. But there was work to do along the way: she took some prerequisite courses at her alma mater while saving up enough money for grad school. As she investigated her grad school options – by informally interviewing accounting professionals – Walsh kept coming up as a school from which firms actively recruit. “The more research I did, Walsh was always on top,” she says. “I began to realize that I really would be more prepared as a Walsh student.”
Moncure’s nontraditional track of working full time while earning her degree also dovetailed with Walsh’s structure. “When I thought through what institution would include flexibility and evening classes, Walsh definitely stood out as the school that made the most sense, she says. Though Moncure felt she had prepared adequately by fulfilling her prerequisites, she says her first day at Walsh was an “emotional hurdle.”
“I thought I would breeze through these classes,” she says. “That was not the case whatsoever. I got a taste of reality, quickly.” Her initial surprise turned into grit as she buckled down. For the next two years, her life revolved around work, internships, classes, homework and studying, seven days a week. “It was time consuming and more effort than I thought,” she says. But the effort, she says, was balanced with “grace,” especially from the professors. “I had probably a handful of times where I was rushing to get to an exam or had car trouble, and it was so easy to talk to the professors,” she says. “They would work with me. They embraced the idea that students at Walsh need a little grace.”
After graduating with her Master of Science in Accountancy in 2014, Moncure took the advice of her academic advisor at Walsh and began her career in a middle-market firm. In 2018, she landed her dream job at a Big Four accounting firm when she was hired by PwC. There, she has worked her way up from senior tax associate to tax manager in their Consulting Solutions sector. She says the hardcore work habits she learned at Walsh continue to serve her well in her job.
Moncure credits the Walsh professors and advisors for helping guide her on her current path. “The counseling at Walsh was focused on real life; they helped me take an honest look at where I was and helped compound the planning I was already doing,” she says. Although Moncure says she has no plans to continue education, she is preparing for partner track within the firm. “When I entered public accounting, my dream was to make partner, but at some point, I started to doubt whether or not it was possible for me,” she says. “My experience at PwC these last few years has shown me that it’s not only possible, but there are people ready to support and advocate for me on that journey.”
“Since day one, my experience at Walsh has prepared me for each step forward,” she says. “It’s a school that’s tailor-made for students like us.”
