Ben Soeter

A native of rural Missouri, Ben Soeter initially enrolled at Rice as an undergraduate. Though he was confident regarding his choice of school, he was unsure about his long-term interests and goals. “I always knew Rice would be a perfect fit. The university has a national reputation, yet the classes are small and the faculty know students by name. I was excited to come to Rice and major in political science, but I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation.”

In his second semester at Rice, Ben narrowed his career interests after registering for an introductory accounting course. He originally viewed the class as “just another” elective, but his perception of accounting quickly changed. “I had an instructor who was truly passionate about the subject matter, and her excitement for accounting inspired the class. I loved the logical, detail-oriented nature of the subject and realized that accounting truly is ‘the language of business.’ I decided that a solid understanding of accounting would be a great jumpstart to my career.” 

Soon after his first accounting course, Ben applied for the Rice Master of Accounting program. Thanks to the unique, interdisciplinary structure of the MAcc, Ben could continue pursuing his major in political science as he prepared for his graduate studies in accounting. 

During his senior year, Ben searched for summer internships with the Big 4 and other regional public accounting firms. Although he applied for jobs in Missouri, he was able to attend MAcc-organized recruiting events and conduct several of his initial interviews at Rice. He ultimately decided to intern with KPMG in Kansas City, in their risk assurance practice. “Interning in advisory was a great experience. Our team would identify the emerging risks faced by our clients, then work to implement, evaluate and improve the internal controls designed to mitigate these risks. Several large, publicly traded companies placed their trust in us, and working on those engagements was both humbling and rewarding.”

At the conclusion of his internship, Ben accepted an offer to return full time to KPMG’s Kansas City office where he now works. “Now that I’ve begun the MAcc, I’ve really come to appreciate the doors opened by the program. When I look around at my peers, I’m always so impressed with both their achievements in the classroom and the job offers they’ve obtained in the business world. I’m excited to see where the future will take us, as I know the MAcc is preparing us for very successful careers in business.”