Lizzie Schlegel headshot in downtown Saratoga

Elizabeth Schlegel '13 and MSA '14 

Finance, Fingerpaint

Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY

Major: B.S. and M.S. in Accounting

Current Involvement: I am on the Board of Directors for Franklin Community Center, a co-chair of the American Cancer Society’s Board of Ambassadors, and I’m an assistant coach of the Siena Cheer Team!

Involvement while at Siena: I was a member of the cheerleading team, a Resident Assistant for two years, and a member of many clubs: SIFE/Enactus, Accounting Students Association, Student Events Board, Residence Hall Association, and Ambassadors.

How do you involve yourself in your community? Franklin Community Center is an organization that helps provide basic needs and services to individuals and families in the Saratoga community. From the food pantry to adopting children for Christmas, the organization does such great things and I’m so proud to be a member of the board. In my work with the American Cancer Society, we organize events to keep the community engaged and raise money towards the fight against cancer. We are fortunate to live in an area where there are so many organizations that help others, and I try to engage and support them often!

Describe a typical day in your life.

At Fingerpaint, there are no typical days, and it’s one of my favorite things about my role. Although accounting is very cyclical, I am often working on ad hoc requests related to reporting, training, or setting up a new process, which keeps me on my toes beyond my day-to-day responsibilities. I make time to get in a solid workout at Metabolic Saratoga during the week and you’ll usually find me at a board or committee meeting in the evenings. On the weekends, I enjoy spending time with my friends, family and my two cats!

How did your Siena education prepare you for the work you’re doing today?

Siena taught me so much, but mostly to be kind. At Siena, you are taught to treat everyone with respect and dignity, regardless of their background. In the classroom, you are faced with real life challenges to practice problem solving, asked to present often to classmates and external panels, and provided organizational skills to stay on track. I am forever grateful for the interpersonal and professional skills I learned at Siena and those skills have molded me into the person I am today.

Describe your professional progression since leaving Siena. 

I started at Fingerpaint when I was finishing my masters degree and have been fortunate to hold many different positions that have led me to my current role. I started off processing accounts payable and various reconciliations and have progressed to overseeing client invoicing and budgeting and forecasting for two of our office locations.

SIENA FAVORITES

Siena Professor: Deb Kelly

Class: Taxation

Location: The MAC

Study-break food: Honey Gardens

Residence Hall: MacClosky

Class Year: Senior year was the best! Participating in all the Siena sponsored events for seniors and cherishing the time with my housemates and friends was so great.

Food: Salad bar

Favorite memory: Cheering at the MAAC tournament championship game in 2010 and rushing the court!

Advice for current Saints:

Get involved! Join clubs and meet new people outside of your inner circle. The friends you will make and the experiences you have are irreplaceable.

Career advice for current students:

Internships are so valuable. Don’t wait until your senior year! Take the time to research companies and choose an internship that you are interested in. It will help you decide what path you want to go down, while making professional connections along the way.*

*for information on how to host a Siena student as an intern, please contact internships@siena.edu