Student Life Blog
Student Profiles
Christy Devocelle
Christy Devocelle graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Financial Accounting and is currently employed by the University of Illinois Foundation as Associate Vice President for Accounting and Gift Administration. Her job responsibilities include supervising the directors/managers of the accounting operations, cash receipts, gift processing and stewardship services departments, all of which are critical functions of the gift operations of the University. Additionally, she participates in a series of training sessions on the U of I’s three campuses regarding gift acceptance, donor intent compliance, endowment management and administrative policies and procedures. Lastly, she serves as one of the staff liaisons to the Audit, Budget and Finance, and Stewardship Committees of the Foundation Board of Directors.
Prior to joining the University of Illinois Foundation in 1997, Christy worked in the banking industry and held various positions including Financial Analyst, Senior Credit Officer, and Business Banking Officer. After completing her MBA, Christy would like to be a valuable, contributing member of the senior leadership team. She says, “The MBA program has already provided me with management skills applicable to my career goals and I believe the overall program will prove invaluable to any future leadership position I may hold.”
Thus far, Christy has really enjoyed the learning experience and the interaction with her classmates: “The discussion is always lively and invigorating and the instructors have really supported and contributed to the interactions.” Christy chose the Illinois MBA program for the pre-designed structure of the well-established program, the flexibility offered to students employed full-time, the advanced learning topics that are applicable to her career path, and the ability to interact with other professionals in varying industries.
Her advice to prospective Illinois PMBA students is to “go for it!” She notes that while it is a significant time commitment, students will get out of it what they put into it. “If your goal is to obtain additional knowledge and skills, the investment of time will provide a strong return and be well worth the short-term sacrifices you’ll make.”
While Christy is enjoying the program, she and her family are already looking forward to celebrating her success in the program two years from now with a Caribbean vacation! She states, “They, too, are making sacrifices, and I couldn’t do this without them.”