Jackson McManus ’24

Jackson McManus ’24 didn’t always know he’d end up in accounting. In fact, when he first arrived at Pitt-Bradford, it was basketball—not numbers—that brought him to campus.

“I was undecided when I first came to Pitt-Bradford,” McManus said. “I started in business management, but after taking an introductory accounting class, I found I really liked the problem-solving side of it.”

Before long, he’d added accounting as a double major, setting the stage for a career he never expected.

Now, just a few months after graduating in 2024, McManus is an audit associate at Brown Edwards, a public accounting firm in Roanoke, Va. It’s a role that puts him in charge of auditing municipalities, colleges, and nonprofits — a broad range of work for someone so early in their career.

“In public accounting, starting out, you really get thrown into everything,” McManus said. “You get a lot of experience right out of the gate working on stuff you might not have expected.”

But, he admitted, those challenges and opportunities have made his post-grad experience that much more exciting and rewarding.

McManus credits much of his academic and career success to the personal connections he built with his professors.

Professor Matt Moonan and his auditing class in particular stand out. “(Professor Moonan) used real-life examples in class, and since he had worked as a public accountant, he gave us a lot of practical insight,” McManus said. “That’s helped me a lot now that I’m actually doing audit work.”

In addition to Moonan, McManus said Professors John Crawford and Allen Maxson were key influences. “They were always approachable,” he said. “If you didn’t understand something, they made sure you got it.”

As McManus settles into his role at Brown Edwards, he’s focused on learning as much as he can, with an eye toward future promotions. He’s open to different paths — whether continuing in public accounting or moving into a leadership role like CFO at a company. For now, though, his goal is simple: Gain as much knowledge and experience as possible and keep striving for improvement.

For current accounting students, McManus offers this advice: “Take it seriously, but don’t stress too much. If you really focus in class, it’ll set you up for success after graduation — especially if you plan on taking the CPA exam.”