Tracy Kleinschmidt, a

Cincinnati native Tracy Kleinschmidt is looking at the big picture while earning Boise State University’s Online Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA).

“Earning my accounting master’s degree has been on my bucket list for over 10 years,” she said. “I wanted to progress in my accounting career at the American Red Cross. I wanted to move up to the next level and work in management.

“I also want to have more options as I get older so I could possibly do consulting work and/or teach at my alma mater, Cincinnati State Technical & Community College. From my extensive research, I believe an accounting master’s degree will make all those options a reality.”

So, Kleinschmidt decided to leave her job as an accounting lead and senior financial analyst, took some time off to lose over 50 pounds and enrolled at Boise State.

After completing her first semester, Kleinschmidt found her next career opportunity as the accounting manager at the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati.

“I want to earn this degree for me,” she said. “It was one of the reasons I decided to leave the American Red Cross. It was an extremely rewarding job and I was very blessed and privileged to work at such a wonderful organization with so many talented people.

“Unfortunately, it was a very demanding job with an unpredictable schedule due to the nature of disasters. After much soul-searching, I concluded I could not do both school and that job equally well that would meet my high standards.”

Although Kleinschmidt has an associate degree in accounting from Cincinnati State, where she was class valedictorian, she enrolled in Boise State’s MSA Foundations program.

“The quality of my education and training at Cincinnati State was excellent,” she said. “This was quite evident when I applied to the Foundations program. Boise State’s accounting department informed me that new Foundations students typically have to take five Foundations classes if the applicant does not have a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

“They worked with me during the whole application process and asked to see the syllabi from all my accounting classes I took at Cincinnati State. They reviewed each syllabus thoroughly to determine which Foundations classes I did not need to take. As a result of Boise State’s thoroughness and due diligence, I was only required to take two Foundations classes when I started the online program.”

Banking on success

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Kleinschmidt planned to become a dentist after earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Lawrence University.

While at Lawrence, she also studied a semester abroad in Germany. After graduating in 1996, Kleinschmidt had to pivot to a different career path due to an unexpected life event.

“After I graduated from Lawrence, I unfortunately had a family tragedy,” she said. “While recovering from that tragedy, I could not afford to go to dental school which would result in me being unable to work for four years.

“Recently married, I made the decision to not apply to dental school. I started working in the banking industry, but soon realized I wasn’t being promoted because I only had a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.”

Kleinschmidt realized her cheapest option at the time to further her education was earning an associate degree.

“I had taken an H&R Block tax class, and I loved it,” she said. “I earned the highest grade in the class. So, since I enjoyed that class so much, I decided to attend Cincinnati State to earn an associate degree in accounting. So, with a lot of hard work and my natural ability in accounting, I graduated at the top of my class in that program, too.”

Although she has several years of experience in the accounting field, Kleinschmidt has learned more valuable skills and knowledge from the Boise State Online MSA, Foundations program.

What can you do with a Master’s in Accounting?

“At my job, I have already used some of the accounting information systems and financial reporting theory I have learned while attending Boise State.” she said. “The Foundation taxation class, which was not a requirement for me, I took because it had been many years since I took a tax class. I haven’t done tax work in many years, so I wanted to update my knowledge of the recent tax code.

“At the Red Cross, I trained a lot of people all with different backgrounds. Using this experience, numerous Boise State students in my online classes have commented on my videos expressing appreciation regarding my clarity and thoroughness when I discussed a topic. Many students would say, ‘I love watching your videos, Tracy. I learn so much from watching them.’”

The curriculum of the online MSA program was one of the top reasons Kleinschmidt enrolled at Boise State.

“I loved the variety of classes offered under this online program,” she said. “I researched at a lot of accounting programs both local and online. However, I felt the course subjects offered in Boise State’s program are in-depth and top-notch. As I conducted further research and had more and more interactions with Boise State staff, they consistently communicated clearly and thoroughly with me as a student.

“All of my interactions with the staff and administration, from my professors, to advisors, to financial aid, have all been an excellent experience. Having been diagnosed with a learning disability previously, Boise State’s Education Access Center has been phenomenal. EAC has been a wonderful and knowledgeable advocate for me when I needed assistance and guidance.”

Destination: Boise

Kleinschmidt is taking advantage of the online program’s flexibility by working toward her degree at her own pace. Her CFO at the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati has also been incredibly supportive, allowing her to have a flexible work schedule while she works toward a 2026 or 2027 graduation date.

“When I finish my degree, I plan to take a week off, fly to Boise and walk in the graduation ceremony,” she said. “I made the right decision to enroll in Boise State’s online MSA Foundations program.”

Since enrolling at Boise State in the Summer 2024, Kleinschmidt has had strong support from her husband of almost 30 years, Rustom Kandawalla.

“Rustom has been extremely supportive.” she said. “He has really taken up the slack with the household duties. He has been so encouraging in believing in my ability. He came to the United States from Pakistan with only two suitcases. He has been here in the US since 1991, and he is very proud to be a US citizen. He loves this country.”

As she continues to work while earning a master’s degree, Kleinschmidt is keeping her future career options wide open.

“I would love an opportunity to teach part-time as a side hustle so I could pay it forward with the knowledge I’ve acquired from my accounting education,” she said. “In addition, I would love to continue working in the non-profit sector in my hometown. I love giving back to my local community, which is why I love non-profit work. It is purpose driven.

“I want more out of my life than just making money. I want joy and fulfillment from my work. I want a job that I love going to and doing every day. I believe earning an online master’s degree from Boise State will be a key component in me achieving this goal.”

Learn more about the Online MSA

Earning an Online Master of Science in Accountancy from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.

Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.

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