How many accountants do you know who have a Super Bowl ring with their name engraved on it?
Elizabeth McCroskey
, B.S. accounting ’07, does.  She’s a senior accountant for the Baltimore Ravens,  Super Bowl XLVII champions.  In this Alumni Spotlight, Elizabeth gives us a glimpse into her career, offers advice to current students and shares some favorite Chapman memories.

What advice do you have for current students who want to make the most out of their time at Chapman?

I loved my time at Chapman!  Don’t take anything for granted.  Especially naps between classes.  They’ll miss that once they get a job.

From your time at Chapman, which faculty member(s) made the greatest impact on you and why?

I would have to say probably
Hank Adler.
He was my first accounting professor and he wasn’t afraid to be brutally honest but only in an attempt to try and motivate you to do your best work.

What is your favorite Chapman memory?

It seems kind of silly but midnight breakfast during finals.  That was the best!

What was your favorite spot on campus as a student?

That’s a tough one.  Can I say everywhere?  It’s such a beautiful campus!

How has your Chapman degree helped you in your professional and personal life?

The fact that it’s such a small community of people who went there or have even heard about it here on the east coast is definitely a plus.  Once you hear someone went there or someone has a friend who did, it builds an instant bond.  The size is one of the main reasons I chose Chapman.

Tell us about your career- what do you do on a day to day basis?

On a daily basis I do a lot of journal entries, including those related to ticket receipts, daily deposits, wires, etc.  I also handle accounts receivable so I do all invoicing for the company which is basically sponsorships, suites and some other miscellaneous items.  This also includes recording payments and keeping track of those that are outstanding.  One of my responsibilities that I really enjoy is helping the CFO with cash management.  We have a large spreadsheet that has all of our outgoing/incoming cash for the fiscal year built in and I update it with our opening balance each morning.  It helps us make sure we always have enough on hand to cover our expenses.  If it looks like we’re going to have an excess of funds, we’ll discuss possible investment options then transfer money to one of our investment accounts.

I also manage our fleet of leased vehicles which are assigned to various area scouts all over the country.  This can mean making sure their registrations are current, they pay all tickets or fines they might incur, get the appropriate emissions tests done if necessary, tracking their mileage to try and minimize penalties for overages at the end of the lease and also helping them through the claims process if they get in an accident.  Randomly enough, one of our scouts who lives in Kansas had a daughter who was accepted to Chapman’s film school last year.

Those are basically the things I deal with on a day to day basis.  There are other responsibilities I have but they are more seasonal.

What insight would you give to current students and alumni who are searching for employment?

My advice would be to think outside the box.  Don’t necessarily rely on websites or don’t let people tell you that what you want to do is crazy.  The first internship I got in college was by calling up the GM of the then Orange County Flyers and asking if they needed a finance intern.  He told me he’d never even thought of it so he gave me an interview and I got it.  He was one of my best references when I got this job.  Take a chance, the worst thing they can say is no.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Chapman Family?

Go Ravens!

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As a Baltimore Ravens employee, Elizabeth received a custom Super Bowl ring.

 

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Elizabeth McCroskey, B.S. accounting ’07 and senior accountant for the Baltimore Ravens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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