Nashville State Student Adrienne McSwiney Finds Career Track, Success and Happiness

Adrienne McSwiney realized one day that she “wanted more.”

“I have always been a good student and the plan was to go college, but having children pushed it to the side,” she recently said.

Her children, Braden Martin (23) and Cerena Martin (21), are both recent graduates of University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

McSwiney, who is on track to graduate in spring 2023 with an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting, is using the Tennessee Reconnect grant to cover tuition.

“This degree through Nashville State is giving me the opportunity to have a career, not just a job.”

While seeking her degree, Adrienne was notified of a position at LBMC, the largest Tennessee-based business consulting and advisory firm and the no. 32 accounting firm in the nation, by Associate Professor of Accounting Laurie Swanson, CPA, who teaches several of her classes.

With assistance from Professor Swanson and Nashville State’s Career Services, McSwiney applied to be an Audit Support Specialist. She was offered the position and began work in December 2021.

As Audit Specialist, Adrienne is responsible for preparing accounting workpapers, selecting samples for testing, testing the samples, inputting budgets, updating client entity information, running general ledger and journal entry testing all related to the audit process.

“LBMC is a wonderful place to work,” she said. “This company really cares about its people and offers opportunities and resources for growth in your career.”'

Adrienne’s direct supervisor at LBMC, Drew McCullough, CPA, senior manager for audit and advisory, said, “Adrienne has been a significant contributor to our efforts in the department. I am thrilled to have her on our team.”

After graduating, McSwiney plans on getting her CPA and is considering forensic accounting as a specialty.

In the meantime, Adrienne is learning in the classroom while getting hands-on experience in the professional workspace. At Nashville State’s Accounting Program, in addition to the core focus, students also take general education and business courses as part of the curriculum.

“What I love about accounting is it really is just a big puzzle that you have to investigate to figure out,” she says.

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