Bethanie Royality-Lindman ’17 hadn’t intended to study financial mathematics at Simmons.
“Professor Carole Biewener was the one who told me about the financial math track, and after one discussion on the topic, I was sold. What attracted me most to the major was its focus on applying the math and economics topics I enjoyed learning to real-world issues,” she recalls. “The intelligent, funny, and compassionate professors from the economics and math departments are the reason I was excited to return to campus each semester, ready to soak up every ounce of wisdom they had to offer.”
While at Simmons, her work in student government gave her the chance to take on leadership roles. “I learned a lot through trial and error, making many mistakes along the way,” she notes. “I learned how to be adaptable, how to ask the right questions. I learned how vital it is to incorporate peer feedback into your future actions. I learned to be open to changing my mind but also confident in my decisions. I'm still honing these skills, but at Simmons, I was able to lay the groundwork of the type of leader I admire and strive to be.”
Now a Workday consultant at Huron, Royality-Lindman is eager to help her new colleagues. “I am happiest in my job when I get to mentor new consultants. Now that I have had a few years to find my own footing, I seek out opportunities to work with more junior members of the team to help them figure out what their areas of expertise will be and the direction they want to take in their careers.”
I'm still honing these skills, but at Simmons, I was able to lay the groundwork of the type of leader I admire and strive to be.
At Huron, she’s been able to explore different areas within Workday, from financial accounting to budgets, expenses, and data conversion. The data analytics and statistics classes she took at Simmons prepared her well for this work because of their strong emphasis on navigating and quickly becoming proficient in various technologies and software. The classes she took in the School of Business, such as “Financial Accounting,” gave her the foundational knowledge to speak and work with Controller’s departments with ease.
Her current role is to assist in the implementation of Workday products at higher education and healthcare institutions. “I enjoy building relationships with my clients and earning their trust so that they can be confident in the solutions I propose,” she says. “Together, we find inefficiencies in the current processes and determine solutions within Workday that will streamline tasks and facilitate reporting. I know I'm on the right track when a new client counterpart starts asking me for advice on a topic that we hadn't originally planned to discuss.”
Royality-Lindman encourages all students to explore the opportunities for internships, fieldwork, and research that Simmons has to offer. “Even if you’re not sure you will like the position, if you give it your all, you will undoubtedly come away having learned so much about an industry, a career path, and yourself.”
And don’t let rejections — from potential internships or employers — discourage you from trying. “When I received a rejection, I took a moment to be frustrated, then moved on. Keep trying and, eventually, you will be offered a position.”