Brendan Wallace has wanted to attend the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) since high school, so he was “happily overwhelmed” when he received a full-ride scholarship there beginning in the fall. But it never would have happened if he hadn’t decided to attend Macomb first.   

“What attracted me to U of D was the fact that they teach business from an ethical standpoint,” said Wallace. “But I never would have known about the scholarship they offer if my professors at Macomb hadn’t told me about it.”

A new direction

The university awards one scholarship each year to a Macomb transfer student who is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society for two-year college students. Wallace, who graduated from Macomb with a 4.0 grade point average in May, fit the bill.  But the scholarship isn’t the only thing for which he is grateful.

“I knew Macomb was a great school, both of my brothers went there. But it was basically a financial decision at first,” said Wallace. “I knew I wanted a career in business and was leaning toward the human resources side, but then Macomb’s accounting courses changed my mind. Now earning a CPA is my big goal.”

Wallace credits his accounting professors for bringing the field to life with their lively lectures, practical experience and relevant discussions, all of which inspired him to not only change his major, but to work as an accounting tutor at Macomb’s Learning Center as well. He graduated from Macomb with an associate degree in accounting and will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UDM beginning in the fall. 

A change of pace

“I’m looking forward to living on campus and connecting with the city,” said Wallace, who graduated from Anchor Bay High School in 2021. “I’ve never done anything like that before in my life.”

At the UDM, Wallace intends to make good use of the university tennis courts and ride his bicycle around his new urban neighborhood. Finding time for yourself, he notes, “is always important.”  After he graduates from UDM and passes the CPA exam, he intends to work for a few years before earning a master’s degree, the last step toward his next goal of returning to Macomb.

“I would like to go back and work as a professor, said Wallace. “I’ve always been interested in helping people and Macomb’s excellent faculty really had a big influence on what I’ve accomplished.”