W&L Outcomes: Lucy Donahue ’24 After graduation, Donahue is working as a financial analyst at Amazon and pursuing her CPA.

Office of Communications and Public Affairs
July 30, 2024

Lucy Donahue ’24
Major: Accounting; minors in poverty and human capability studies and medieval and Renaissance studies
Hometown: Incline Village, Nevada

What will you be doing after graduation? 

After graduation, I will begin as a financial analyst at Amazon through the Amazon Finance Rotation Program on the accounting track. Over the next two years, I will work on three different teams, giving me a range of experiences within accounting. I will also be pursuing my CPA.

How did your career plans evolve over the course of your time at W&L?

Coming into Washington and Lee University, I was unsure about what I wanted to major in and what career I wanted to explore. My interest in accounting began my sophomore year, yet I was still unsure what route I wanted to take career-wise. As I began thinking about internships for junior year, I knew I wanted to explore the corporate accounting space, and after spending last summer at Amazon, I knew this was the right fit for me.

What internships or other summer experiences did you partake in, and how did those experiences shape you and your career plans?

Following freshman year, I interned at Rockbridge Area Relief Association, a local nonprofit dedicated to alleviating food and housing insecurity. This experience reaffirmed my interest in nonprofit work and provided me with a deeper connection to the Rockbridge community. The summer after junior year, I interned for Amazon at HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia. I worked on the digital advertising finance business integration accounting team, where I completed an accounting automation project. Amazon’s leadership principles and its writing culture pushed me to dive deep and think critically, especially knowing that my project would be used by my team even after my internship was over. I loved my experience and the company culture at Amazon and was excited to accept my full-time job offer at such an innovative company. Both of these experiences were formative to my professional and personal interests.

How did the Office of Career and Professional Development support you. and which resources did you find most helpful?

The support and guidance from the CPD office and the faculty from the Shepherd and accounting programs helped me throughout this entire process. By attending various CPD events with individuals from different firms, I was able to figure out that corporate accounting best aligned with my professional interests. Additionally, all of the interview preparation materials were extremely helpful throughout my interview process.

What did you study at W&L, and what are some skills or learnings you will take from your academic experience into the professional world?

At W&L, I was able to pursue all of my academic interests because of the liberal arts education. My accounting major has prepared me for my future role through the coursework, collaborative elements and developing my problem-solving skills. I was also able to minor in both poverty and human capability studies and medieval and Renaissance studies. My experiences in the Shepherd Program have taught me invaluable communication and critical thinking skills and caused me to challenge some of my preexisting beliefs. My capstone experience for medieval and Renaissance studies greatly improved my ability to analyze issues and dive deep into subject material and communicate my findings through writing. All of my experiences and coursework at W&L has prepared me in some way for the professional world.

What clubs, organizations, athletic teams or other extracurriculars were you involved in that had an impact on you?

My involvement with the Bonner Program has had such a profound impact on me over the past four years. This past year, I have been interning at the Community Foundation for Rockbridge, Bath and Allegheny through Bonner. In this role, I have had the opportunity to write the resident and staff policy booklets for Rockbridge Recovery’s HOPE House, the region’s first transitional sober living home. This experience has taught me the importance of radical respect, dignity and empathy as well as provided me with a new skill set through the policy creation process. Through this role, I have been exposed to new career opportunities in the nonprofit space. This has been a full-circle experience for me being able to combine my interest in community engagement and nonprofit work, fostered by the Shepherd Program, with my coursework and professional interest in accounting and finance. I am extremely grateful to have had this experience and immerse myself in the Rockbridge community.

Who or what has inspired you along the way?

Marisa Charley, the Bonner Program director, has helped me every step of the way. She has been one of my biggest supporters on this campus, and I am always inspired by her kindness. She has taught me so much about respectful and responsible service and pushed me to think deeply about the ways I engage with community.

What career-related advice would you give to next year’s graduating class?

Explore whatever it is you are interested in, even if it doesn’t align with your career goals. Every experience you take part in will provide you with skills that are applicable to your future career.