KU Master of Accounting student's ambition leads to KPMG Global Internship and international mindset
Master of Accounting student Jolie Hilgedieck is always pursuing new opportunities by fostering connections and welcoming new perspectives.
All of her experiences as a KU School of Business student have helped her to break the stereotype that accounting is confined to numbers, fueling her ambition to see the world.
As an out-of-state student from Illinois, Hilgedieck knew the moment she walked on campus that she wanted to be a Jayhawk. Her decision was further swayed by her admission to the Business Leadership Program (BLP), a selective opportunity for the most ambitious and committed incoming business students.
The program is directed by Jen Harrison, associate teaching professor. It offers a cohort-style learning experience along with academic and career advising and one-on-one leadership development. With the opportunity to work with student groups to create and pitch projects, Hilgedieck jumpstarted her network and built a foundation of leadership skills at the beginning of her freshman year.
Harrison has been a guiding figure for her through the program and in the classroom, serving as her BLAW 302 Honors Legal Aspect of Business instructor. Law fascinated Hilgedieck, and Harrison’s mentorship and advice to study for the LSAT opened the possibility to study law in her future.
While Hilgedieck initially started as a business administration major on a pre-law track, ACCT 200 Introduction to Financial Accounting sparked a new passion. She realized she wanted to learn more about changing her major to accounting.
As she became more versed in the accounting program, Hilgedieck saw the opportunity to get ahead in her studies by wrapping up her undergraduate education in three years to pursue her Master of Accounting. The course content clicked for her while still offering a challenge, keeping her engaged and pushing her down a path she knew she could excel in.
“I started to get more exposure to what careers and the rest of my education in accounting would look like,” Hilgedieck said. “For me, CPA licensure was something that I knew I wanted to pursue after I wanted to do accounting because you can do so many things with the CPA, and it's a really awesome credential to have behind your name.”
Hilgedieck has imparted her experiences and knowledge for the past three semesters as a teaching assistant for ACCT 200. She now guides students as a GTA and team coordinator as they face an abundance of unknowns in and outside the business school. Her empathy-driven approach helps other students clarify their own future paths.
“I thought it'd be cool to like give back to the class that kind of started the whole passion for me,” Hilgedieck said. “It's taught me patience and also allowed me to reflect on my own academic journey and how far I have come since I was in their shoes.”
Beyond teaching, Hilgedieck works to keep her mind stimulated. Whether it’s facing a new challenge or fostering her professional growth, she is excited by opportunities that push boundaries, even those that take her out of the country.
Hilgedieck began her international ventures through the CIMBA Italy Program the summer after her freshman year. Offered through KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE), she developed her leadership skills by taking high-quality business courses, expanding her knowledge on international relations while exploring Italy and Switzerland.
After returning from her summer abroad, she felt eager for another international experience. The KPMG Global Internship Program offered the perfect opportunity. This competitive program provides students who have already accepted an internship offer with the firm the chance to spend four weeks internationally, building connections and mentorship. Hilgedieck was accepted into the program and spent summer 2025 in Perth, Australia.
“I just had that itch to keep seeing the world and keep traveling,” Hilgedieck said. “I think travel is one of the best ways to learn about just the world in general but also learn about people. On the accounting side of things, it was really interesting to see the way that we do things differently in the U.S. than they do abroad.”
In Australia, Hilgedieck spent her four weeks working on two different mining clients, each for a two-week period. She adjusted to the new work culture effortlessly. The main difference she encountered involved the variation in accounting standards and the type of clients. This experience allowed her to learn new business processes and accounting guidance that differed from her undergraduate coursework.
“I had to rely more on the fundamentals of accounting that KU taught me, as well as the soft skills I have developed throughout my time at KU to be successful,” Hilgedieck said. “I had to balance knowing when to ask for help versus attempt things on my own.”
After she completed each assignment, her engagement manager and performance management leaders provided her feedback, praising her contributions and smooth integration into the work culture abroad. This validation reassured her that her hard work paid off and solidified her desire to explore.
Travel is just one of many of Hilgedieck’s passions. During her time as an undergraduate, she started a personal training business through The Catalyst, a three-stage program that provides resources and peer-to-peer support while developing their entrepreneurial knowledge. While she is currently pausing her venture due to other conflicts, her future goal is to continue this passion and open a business of her own.
Hilgedieck’s commitment to leadership and continuous learning was recognized beyond the business school. She received the 2025-26 Madison and Lila Self Memorial Scholarship, one of four graduate students in the KU School of Business to be honored with this award.
“I really have loved seeing that interdisciplinary element of the program so far and getting to talk to other master's students in different areas at KU and seeing what their experience is like,” Hilgedieck said.
