Kassandra Mangano

Where are you from?
Waxhaw, NC

What high school did you attend?
Cuthbertson High School

Graduation Date:
May 2019

In your opinion, what are the three best things about UNC Charlotte?
The three best things about UNC Charlotte are: the people (students, alumni, faculty, and staff), networking opportunities that have been provided by the university, and the proximity to uptown Charlotte!

Where is your favorite place on campus?
My favorite place is the Popp Martin Student Union because there is always something happening there!

What is your favorite Charlotte restaurant?
Enso! It is an awesome sushi place in the EpiCentre of Charlotte.

What is your favorite class that you have taken and why?
My Introduction to Psychology class was my favorite because I have always been interested in the reason why people act certain ways and why they think the things they do. If I were not in the Belk College of Business, I would probably study psychology!

Tell us three random things about yourself.
I love the beach and traveling to new places. Three shots of espresso, over ice, with a dash of nonfat milk, and two Splenda packets makes up my go-to coffee. When I was little, I was on crutches three different times and in an arm cast twice.

Alumna
2019
Accounting
Finance
Kassandra Mangano was a double major in Accounting and Finance. She was a Women in Business ambassador and a member of the Business Honors Program.
What majors did you pursue and why?

I double majored in Accounting and Finance. I am pursuing Accounting because I plan to obtain my Master of Accountancy upon graduation in May 2019 and sit for the CPA exam. I have always wanted to work in the financial services industry. In my sophomore year, when I had the opportunity to compete on the Deloitte FanTAXtic team, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in public accounting.

Why did you choose the Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte?

I chose the Belk College of Business because of the Business Honors Program. The program has provided me with opportunities that I could not have received at any other school in the Southeast. I have had a chance to network with today’s most influential leaders, made some of my closest friends that share like-minded goals, and I have worked with caring professors that want nothing more than to help their students succeed. Choosing UNC Charlotte is a no-brainer if you are interested in studying business.

What activities are you involved in when not working/studying?

When I am not studying or working, I serve as a Women in Business Ambassador, a member of the Business Honors program, and a member of Beta Alpha Psi. In my free time, I enjoy anything that keeps me active, especially CrossFit.

What has been the best part of your academic experience so far?

The summer of my freshman year, I was given the chance to study abroad in Santander, Cantabria (Spain) with a group of my peers, who are now among my closest friends. Studying abroad is truly a life-changing experience. It opened my eyes to many different cultures and norms that have taught me to embrace differences between others and myself. While I was in Spain, I studied International Economics and Spanish.

How would you describe the Belk College of Business to someone who is thinking about applying?

A few words that come to mind when thinking of the Belk College of Business are diverse, welcoming and innovative. If you have a passion to study any major within business, you need to attend UNC Charlotte. The opportunities that the Belk College gives its students and the passion everyone in the school has to help you become your best self is incomparable to any other university.

If you received a scholarship or financial aid, how did that help you?

UNC Charlotte, financial aid, and specifically the Belk College of Business are the reasons I am attending college. I have been working since I was about 12 years old so I could afford transportation, clothes and my college education. In high school, I worked two jobs. At one point I was working about 50-55 hours per week and attending high school full time. The money that I was able to save during that period was not nearly enough to afford tuition in today’s economy. Because of UNC Charlotte, I was able to afford a college education.

Financial aid and scholarships from the university have provided me with enough assistance that I can attend this university, and I could not be more grateful. This past summer I still worked about 80-85 hours a week to help pay the remaining portion of my tuition. During the school year, I currently work about 50-55 hours per week while taking a full course load to pay for my day-to-day needs but a large portion of my education has been funded by financial aid and scholarships.

What else would you like to share with us?

One of my favorite quotes is “Things never get easier, you just get better.” –unknown
Do not ever take the easy route because you feel nervous; if something is as equally scary as it is exciting, do it, and do it well.

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