Dylan Johnson ’21, Technology Risk Consultant at Ernst & Young, Cincinnati, Ohio

BS, Accounting, William Paterson University; MAcc, University of Tennessee

“The University provided me with a wonderful education and campus experience that had a positive impact on me and my career. Through my involvement in so many wonderful WP clubs and activities, I connected with countless individuals who helped me succeed as a student and beyond.”

“As a first-generation student I couldn’t look to my parents for guidance during my time in college because they didn’t have the college experience. It was up to me to connect with University faculty, staff, and students for guidance throughout my time at William Paterson,” says Dylan Johnson ’21.

He made those connections by getting very involved in campus activities and organizations. From serving on the Student Government Association and as a student representative to the University’s Board of Trustees, to joining the nationally ranked rugby team and becoming an undergraduate fellow with the Office of Alumni Relations, “William Paterson University was able to provide me with a wonderful education and campus experience,” he explains.

“These clubs gave me the foundation I needed for success,” Johnson adds, noting how many people he got to meet and how much they supported and guided him in different ways. The tools he needed to realize that success, he says, is credited to the accounting department in WP’s Cotsakos College of Business (CCOB). “Without the strong curriculum, professors, and professional enrichment opportunities at the CCOB, I’m not sure I would be in the place I am today.” 

He urges all students, particularly the first-generation ones who might lack personal connections to turn to, to get involved on campus as a means of finding a support system. Furthermore, forcing oneself to get comfortable with asking questions in and outside of class is key, he adds. “Asking questions is how we learn.”

01/04/23