Senior Spotlight: An Account of Learning, Leading

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David Bell

Fifth in a series of BJU senior profiles. Students were recommended by academic deans or department chairs.

As a legacy student, David Bell always wanted to attend BJU. “My whole family, basically, has gone, and I wanted to experience all the good things I had heard (about BJU) growing up,” he said.

However, studying accounting was not part of that plan. In fact, he knew little about the career path when he chose it as his major. “My great-uncle had recommended it because there are (supposedly) no unemployed accountants,” Bell said. “But after the first semester, I was convinced I could commit and would love it.”

And he did both. He learned to enjoy analyzing a company and understanding its systems in order to improve it financially. Cost accounting classes were especially intriguing. “Not only did we learn how companies operate internally, but we also learned about economics and ethics in the workplace through grads’ real-life scenarios,” he explained.

During the 2019 spring semester, Bell interned full time auditing with Elliott Davis in Greenville. He enjoyed interacting with the people while learning about companies and their operations. “It was an amazing experience,” he said. “I was reminded of what all my schooling … was for — work was close.”

It was also a learning experience that challenged him. Said Bell: “The greatest challenge was receiving feedback about improvement with humility and (then) implementing it. Two of the people I worked with a lot took me for coffee and shared some feedback, and though it was sad to hear I wasn’t doing well in some areas, I won’t forget their good advice and help.”

Having grown through his experiences, Bell anticipates auditing with PwC in Charlotte after graduating. “Financial auditing is fascinating to me because I get to learn … how each company faces the challenges of running a business,” he said.

Thriving on Opportunities

While at BJU, Bell invested in many opportunities on campus. Growing up as a missionary kid in Spain opened the door to be part of the International Student Organization. “Experiencing different cultures makes you a little more aware of others’ cultures, even in one nation. So, I have appreciated the experience (of) dealing with people from different backgrounds,” he said.

He added that being from Spain also helps people remember him more easily. And off campus, his fluent Spanish was advantageous when interviewing.

Bell was also involved in the Division of Music at BJU. He began playing piano at age 7 and French horn at age 9. Having attended a conservatory — a music school in Spain that formally teaches music theory, harmony, history, choir, chamber music, band and orchestra — he was prepared to contribute to numerous music groups on campus. He was a member of the wind band, concert band, symphony orchestra and horn choir.

After beginning to sing at church his freshman year, he decided to join choirs as well — University Singers, Concert Choir, Chorale and Chamber Singers. “The best thing (about) doing music was being part of several artist series and getting to know many people and make great memories,” he said. “My favorite was probably the opera (Lucia di Lammermoor) I did with the concert choir (in spring 2018).”

Leading at BJU

Bell also strengthened his leadership skills by holding offices in society, the Student Leadership Council, International Student Organization and BJU’s University Business Association.

As he did in his internship, he had to learn from his weaknesses. “That is the hardest part of leadership, because we tend to put the most pressure on ourselves to be the best in the team,” he said. “But I’ve been reminded constantly to rely on those around me and to surround myself by those I can trust.”

He added, “On the other hand, I’ve learned about what kind of leadership I do well in and what kind of missions I’m passionate about. At first, I would get involved in anything, but little by little I learned to specialize in what I was passionate about and gifted in.”

Experiencing BJU to the Fullest

“Veni, vidi, vici,” Bell said when asked how he would sum up his college experience. He came to BJU, he saw his opportunities, and he conquered by making the most of them. “Although I didn’t literally do it all, I almost feel like I did,” he said. “And what’s best, God has used every experience and friend along the way to draw me nearer and put me on a path to serve Him forever.”

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