Joe Evans ’18

After graduating from Franciscan University in May 2018 with a BS in accounting and finance, Joe Evans earned his master’s in professional accounting from the University of Texas. In 2019, he landed his current job as an audit associate at KPMG, a multinational network of accounting firms. His primary duties as an accountant include making management inquiries, confirming balances with banks and vendors, comparing transactions to source documentation, and running analytical calculations.

On each audit, he works with an engagement team to ensure that the company being audited is fairly representing its financial statements. It takes planning, prioritizing, and communication to complete the audit in a timely fashion.

Joe praises the firm foundation in accounting and auditing principles he received at Franciscan University for giving him confidence that he would succeed and preparing him for his career. One of the most significant influences on his work today is his accounting and business professors and the Business Department’s curriculum, strongly rooted in ethics and morality. He also noted that upper-level business courses with significant team-based projects prepared him well for success at the graduate level.

“The Catholic faith that Franciscan nourishes gives you an ethical edge in an otherwise gray world,” says Evans. “Franciscan holds you to a high standard that will stay with you throughout your professional career.”

At Franciscan, the strong curriculum, focus on faith, and the pleasure of meeting his lovely wife, Stephanie Galle (’16), are just a few factors Joe credits for his success today. He also found the Franciscan Austria study abroad program to be a life-changing experience.

“After navigating Europe alone with your friends, you get this sense that you can accomplish anything you want to in life.”