Yuan “Heady” Hou arrived at New Paltz as a shy transfer student content to stay in her residence hall room. By her second semester, she realized she had to take an active role in reaching her educational goals and began trying out different activities.

“I found out which ones interested me and would give me the opportunity to learn and grow,” Heady said.

Heady, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from China when she was 14, was student activities manager for the Office of Student Activities and Union Services, a community development assistant and a resident assistant in Bliss Hall, vice president of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board for the School of Business, co-president of both the Asian Student Association and Jam Asia. She was also involved in the Accounting and Finance Association and Students in Free Enterprise.

Not all of her endeavors were met with success. Heady ran for president of the Accounting and Finance Association and lost, but that didn’t stop her. She continued to work for and supported the organization and encouraged many other School of Business students to participate and grow in the organization.

“I strive to succeed and I am extremely resilient,” she said.

She obtained an internship with Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni & Wendell, LLP, the largest local Certified Public Accountants in the region. Heady’s internship coincided with the busiest time of an accountant’s calendar - tax season. It proved to be a challenge that she prepared for thanks to her studies in both the finance and accounting programs in the School of Business.

In her senior year, Heady was offered a position at PriceWaterhouseCooper in New York City and accepted the job before graduation. The opportunity to travel and to grow within the industry led her to making her decision. Heady graduated from New Paltz in May 2006 with a dual degree in accounting and finance, and will begin her new job at the end of July.

Why New Paltz?: “I came to New Paltz as a transfer student and had a very clear idea of what I want

Little-known fact: “I like to watch cooking shows, take the recipes and make them my own.”

Proud moment: “I became a U.S. citizen in late 2005.”