Alumni Success Story: Eugene Fula

Eugene Fula, BS – Accounting ’13, MS – Accounting ’14

Where is your hometown?

I moved around a lot when I was little, but I have lived in Orland Park the longest. So, I would consider Orland Park as my hometown.

Why did you choose UIC?

I didn’t want to move too far from home and really liked that UIC was in the city. As a potential business student, I knew that this could help me out. I didn’t know much more about UIC than that, but I talked to a few of my friends that went to the school after I applied. They eventually sold me on UIC, and am really happy that I made that choice.

Did you know you wanted to be an accounting major right away?

Starting at UIC I actually was looking at becoming a firefighter, with a business degree. I was a cadet at the Orland Park Fire Department and knew that a degree would help me not only on the job, but a business degree would be beneficial during my time off if I wanted to start a small business. A lot of firefighters I met at Orland Park followed this same route, so I thought I would do the same. When I actually started at UIC, it wasn’t until the second year that I realized how interesting business actually was to me. I remember taking a Macro Economics course with Mr. Bill that completely changed my mind, and I decided to switch my focus to strictly business. From there I went on to take the required business courses thinking I was going to be a finance major, but when I took Accounting 210, I had to change my mind one last time.

What kinds of extracurricular activities were you involved in?

During my freshman year, I joined the UIC Rugby team for a season, but because of my work schedule, I was not able to continue playing the next year. I was also a member of the Finance and Investment Group, and the Management leadership Association. The groups I was most involved in were UIC’s Polish American Student Association, where I served as treasurer of the club, and the UIC Accounting Club where I served as both VP of Programs one year, and then President the next.

What did you like the most about your experience at UIC?

The people that I met really made my experience at UIC memorable. From the long nights of studying for Prof. Leventhal’s 315 exams, to just hanging out in the quad with my fellow classmates was an experience I will never forget. As my friends and I rise up the ranks in the corporate world, we will always have those memories together at UIC.

What are you up to after graduation?

Besides studying for the CPA exam right before my July start date at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), I really want to enjoy my time off. I am into mountain biking and hiking, so I am always looking for new trails to go to in Illinois and the surrounding states. I plan on going to Wisconsin in a few weeks, and then hopefully to Minnesota for the 4th of July. If I had some more time, I would plan a trip to Colorado, but that might have to wait a little.

Did you use any of the resources at the UIC Business Career Center to secure internships or your job placement?

The Business Career Center was an amazing resource when I was looking for an internship. The PwC internship that I eventually received was originally posted on UICCareers.com. As soon as I saw this I made sure that my most up-to-date resume was ready and submitted my application. From there I went to Tracy Warner, Assistant Dean of the Career Center, and she gave me the don’t be the “fly on the wall” talk and gave me the confidence boost that I needed. PwC was the company that I really wanted to work for, so I took all the advice that I could get – and it worked.