Alumni Spotlight: Brenna LeDay '17 '18

Brenna LeDay '17, '18 has always been drawn to helping others — whether in her personal life through community service or her professional life working as a consulting manager at EisnerAmper in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Getting to work at one of the largest accounting firms in the country allows LeDay to put her detail-oriented skills into action as she works with her clients daily to achieve their goals.

Her initial spark for pursuing a career in the accounting and consulting industry came from one of her high school teachers. “I knew I wanted to do something business-related, and he suggested accounting as a profession to research,” LeDay said. Growing up in Opelousas, LeDay’s high school would frequently take trips to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She learned about the quality of the accounting program and knew this was where she wanted to further her education.

As soon as she stepped foot on campus, LeDay made sure that she got the full collegiate experience by getting involved with as much as she could. “I heard so much about getting involved, so I took that and ran with it,” she said.

She was a member of the Student Government Association, Beta Alpha Psi — an international honorary organization for accounting students, the University’s gospel choir and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. However, one experience that left a significant impact on her was her involvement with UL Lafayette AmeriCorps.

“I did over 1,000 hours of community service during my undergraduate career with that organization,” she said. “One of my top memories was going to New Orleans to help with home restorations. It taught me so much about perseverance and what I was capable of. It showed me that I could take any type of challenge that was in front of me, and I could get to the finish line.”

When she was approaching the finish line of her undergraduate career, she decided to continue her journey as a Ragin’ Cajun by pursuing her Master of Business Administration. “I really enjoyed my other business classes outside of accounting, so getting my MBA was a great way to expand my other interests,” she said.

It was while she was working on her master’s degree that LeDay dipped her toe into consulting as part of her coursework. She loved that she could use all her business skills to help solve real problems for organizations. After lots of long days working full-time while in school, LeDay finished her MBA and eventually landed at EisnerAmper doing exactly what she loved — helping others succeed.

Even in the professional world, LeDay is grateful that she can continue her passion for community service through her organization. “One thing about this firm that I love is that they have a huge emphasis on community involvement. I also enjoy mentoring our younger staff. It’s really great to make an impact and give advice,” she said.

She also loves that as an alumna, she can celebrate her legacy as a Ragin’ Cajun with her family. “It’s a tradition now,” she said. LeDay’s mother is also a graduate of the University, and they’ve both gone to find their bricks on the Walk of Honor together. As LeDay continues to grow personally and professionally, she’s extremely proud to be a graduate of the UL Lafayette and hopes to make her alma mater proud as she continues to strive for excellence every day.

Photo Caption: Brenna LeDay poses for her senior portraits as an undergradute. Submitted