Annastasia Lieb: Jumping Corporate Heights

Senior accounting major Annastasia Lieb will graduate this May without having to anxiously wonder, “what next?” She’ll be starting a new job this fall with KPMG, a top global accounting firm.

Annastasia calls her new position in KMPG’s audit department a “huge career opportunity” and says her success in landing a position in a Big Four firm right out of college is due to the networking and internship opportunities afforded her by LMU, namely the Accounting Society.

“When I joined the Accounting Society I was introduced to several of the big firms, including KPMG,” Annastasia said. It is this connection that opened the doors she had been eyeing since she began her studies at LMU.

Making the most of this exposure, Annastasia secured a summer internship with the firm, which provided ample networking opportunities. Once Annastasia had a foot in the door, the education she acquired at LMU enabled her to shine. In no time, she was offered a full-time position in the firm’s Los Angeles office effective upon her graduation.

Annastasia’s time at LMU has been one of focus and determination. As a transfer student from Centenary College in New Jersey, her objective was to gain the necessary experience to land a solid job that would build the foundation for a successful career.

The California native started her collegiate career studying Equine Business Management, but opted to turn her passion into a hobby. “Originally I wanted to be a pro rider,” Annastasia said, who has been riding horses since she was nine. “But I finally decided to remain an amateur and focus on a career in accounting.”

That said, Annastasia isn’t letting her dreams gallop away from her. In addition to focusing on her academic work and life at LMU, Annastasia trains with her two horses in Lakeview Terrace, Calif. and successfully competes at a high level in jumping competitions.

For Annastasia, pursuing an accounting degree from LMU was the way to secure a promising future. “It wasn’t always easy,” Annastasia said, but it gave her the end result she was hoping for.

Looking back, her only regret is that she didn’t become a Lion sooner. “I sometimes wish I had started my collegiate career at LMU,” Annastasia said. “LMU has been great!”

LMU offered Annastasia everything she was looking for and more. “There are a lot of opportunities here and the professors are passionate and helpful,” she explained. “It has taken time and sometimes it was a balancing act, but overall it paid off, and I accomplished what I set out to do – begin a successful and fulfilling career.”