Westminster College students in the auditing class taught by Jesse Ligo, Westminster associate professor of accounting and 1982 Westminster graduate, visited the New Castle office of Carbis Walker Sept. 17.

"Experiential learning is one of most important things we do to start building a bridge between the academic and business world for our students," Ligo said. "The value of the insights and impressions in the networking that takes place answers many questions students have about the profession. It is very generous of Carbis Walker to provide our students this opportunity to improve themselves and develop their business acumen."

Brian Kassalen, a partner with Carbis Walker, appreciates the opportunity to meet with the students: "This event gives us the opportunity for exposure and to relay our message. It allows both us and the students the chance to see if they might be the right fit for our firm. In addition, it is a beneficial networking experience for either current or future employment opportunities. As we interact with students, we are not looking for people to fill jobs, but for future partners."

"The Westminster economics and business department gave me a good basis to study for the CPA exam," said Kelly (Sloan) Nord, a 2001 Westminster graduate and senior manager of Carbis Walker's Healthcare Division. "The Career Center was a great help preparing for interviews and résumés. Belonging to a sorority and being involved with other social events on campus helped prepare me for all the networking and marketing that are involved in my job."

Ligo, who joined the Westminster faculty in 2008, earned an undergraduate degree from Westminster College and MBA from Bowling Green State University. He is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania.

Contact Ligo at (724) 946-7167 or e-mail ligojr@westminster.edu for more information.

Jesse Ligo's auditing class at Carbis Walker, New Castle