Student Profile: Cristine Cox ’11

Rising sophomore will serve as a counselor to high school students during the upcoming PwC Accounting Leadership Institute at Bryant.

Cristine Cox ’11 (Suitland, MD) grew up in a small, friendly town just four miles outside of Washington, D.C., that has a particular goal for its residents: to work together to preserve and celebrate diversity. Perhaps that’s why she feels comfortable at Bryant.

“Bryant is a welcoming community that tries to be open to and accepting of differences in people,” she says. “Though it struggles sometimes – like any community anywhere in the world – Bryant is a great place to learn about new cultures and create your own meaning of diversity.”

This summer, as a rising sophomore, Cox will be a counselor at the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Accounting Careers Leadership Institute, a week-long, hands-on program that exposes high school juniors from underrepresented populations to the accounting profession. She will assist Bryant faculty and PwC professionals in teaching high school students the leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills necessary to succeed in business. The program will be held from June 22-27.

“I have enjoyed accounting since first being exposed to the discipline,” she says. “I am really looking forward to showing high school students the value of the ‘language of business.’ ”

Cox has already lined up an internship at PwC for the summer of 2009 and aspires to work there full-time after graduation. “I also want to continue on to graduate school and obtain my CPA certification,” she says.

Cristine Cox ’11 (Suitland, MD)

Cox appreciates the close-knit Bryant community that was evident from her first time on campus.

“I met all of my very good friends during Orientation,” she says. “Orientation is a great opportunity to bond with your classmates.”

She also discovered that Bryant’s Foundation for Learning course provided her with more than just the tools to do well in college. It also gave Cox a mentor and friend in course instructor Amy Webster, who is a health and wellness educator in Bryant’s Department of Health Services.

“Amy was really very helpful in and out of the classroom,” she says. “Whenever I needed something or didn’t know which department took care of certain services, I knew I could go to her and find answers.”

Outside of the classroom, Cox joined the student newspaper, The Archway, as a staff writer to complement her communication minor. She is also on the executive board of the Multicultural Student Union (MSU) for the 2008-09 school year and was voted MSU member of the semester in the fall of 2007 and member of the year for 2007-08.

Cox advises all students to get engaged in campus life. “It’s really easy to fall into hanging out with one group all the time,” she says. “But it’s important to meet a lot of new people and learn about different cultures because it will give you more of a global awareness and focus. The only person who can limit you is you.”