Weixin Li '22 Accounting, Business Administration, Finance

From her very first campus tour, Weixin Li ‘22 knew that Malone was the place for her. 

“Right away, I felt like I really belonged here. I liked the smaller environment, especially because I had just moved to America. Everyone was so welcoming and kind – it was a perfect fit,” said Li.

It wasn’t just the people that made Li feel at home, but the very foundations of Malone as a Christian university helped her feel at ease.

“It was really important for me to attend a Christian school,” Li said. “I was a young Christian at the time, so it was very crucial to me that I went to a school that would support that.” 

During her high school career, Li found that she enjoyed the logical approach found in her mathematics courses, and she followed that preference into college when choosing her major. 

 “I really enjoyed working with numbers,” said Li. “So I knew from the start that I wanted to study accounting.”

 However, it wasn’t long before she began weighing other areas of study. 

“I remember thinking about adding additional majors, like business administration and finance, but I wasn’t sure if I could handle more than one major,” said Li. 

But just like her first days at Malone, it was the support of those around her that helped Li make that decision. 

“I was really doubting myself, but I remember my academic adviser and professor Bert Smith keeping an eye on my grades. He was very supportive, and he explained to me how my areas of interest overlapped, making it possible for me to have more than one major,” said Li. “He believed in me before I was able to believe in myself.”

With her adviser’s help, Li took the plunge to add not just one, but two more majors -- giving her a triple major in accounting, business administration, and finance. 

Prepared for the challenge, Li began her new, broader school journey. Eventually her senior year arrived, and, coming with it, the possibility of internships. 

“I didn’t really know where to start looking,” Li said. “There were so many possible companies.” 

Another one of her professors, Brett Fogle, was able to help guide her along. 

“He brought me a list of ten companies I could intern with, and he helped me think about each of them. He even reached out to CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) and recommended me to them. They mentioned that in my interview,” Li said. 

Just like in the supportive community at Malone, Li was looking for a company where she could thrive and grow. 

“CLA was my favorite company that I thought about working for and they stood out to me because they care about inclusion and creating a great company culture. That’s something you don’t see a lot,” said Li.

Landing an internship with CLA is no small feat, either. 

“It was really exciting to get the internship because they're one of the top 10 accounting firms in the country,” said Li. 

The eighth largest accounting firm in the country, to be precise. 

Li has been able to take her instruction in the classroom and translate it to real world experience. 

“My Malone classes helped me understand industry rules and gave me a great foundation. It really helps to know what the terms and processes are before you start actually doing them, and it was because of that foundation that I was prepared for the hands-on work,” said Li.

And there’s no shortage of that work for Li to get experience in, as she has worked in both auditing and taxes during the course of the internship. 

“I’ve learned the ins and outs of account balancing, trial balancing, testing invoices and balances, assisting in the preparation of auditing sections in cash, debt, fixed assets, and more, and I’ve been preparing individual tax returns,” Li said.  

It was her early experiences and the unique demonstration of care at Malone, rooted in a deep and genuine Christian faith, that laid the foundation for Li’s success.

“Professors always offered me help if I needed it. I have friends at bigger schools who are shocked by how much the professors at Malone care about us,” said Li. “The main thing that touches me is how professors pray for us before exams, and some even share devotionals in class. People care about you personally and reach out to you. I don’t think that in other schools professors and students help you like they do at Malone.”

With such an open field of opportunity afforded to her by her triple major and foundational education, Li sees the future as an open road. 

“I have such a wide array of opportunities because of my degree, so I get to take experiences as they come,” said Li.

Whether that comes through a full time position at CLA or something completely different, Li is ready for her next steps thanks to her relationships and study at Malone.