May 12, 2025
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
Before she even stepped onto campus, Kaile Kalton was deeply tied to the University of Missouri.
Her family’s Tiger legacy spans generations from her grandfather, a celebrated mathematics professor, to her parents, who both earned undergraduate and advanced degrees from Mizzou.
Still, Kalton carefully explored her college options — until a final campus visit confirmed what her family already knew: Mizzou was home.
“The campus felt so much like home, and the Trulaske College of Business provided program and degree offerings that stood out among other schools,” she said. “I was incredibly excited to continue the Kalton legacy as a Tiger.”
In the years that followed, Kalton made it her own, working toward both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy, securing prestigious internships and ultimately accepting a full-time offer with KPMG.
As she prepares to graduate this month and start her career, Kalton shares 10 tips for future Tigers who want to follow in her footsteps.
1. Interested in that scholarship or award? Don’t count yourself out.
My biggest advice when it comes to applying for scholarships and awards is just to put yourself out there. I was once given the advice to “never count yourself out,” and I think this speaks volumes when it comes to applying for various organizations and awards in college. Even if you think you might not receive it, you will never know unless you try.
2. Organization can be (colorful) survival.
I have certainly had some busy semesters at Mizzou, between classes in the accounting program, student organizations, studying for the CPA exams and part-time jobs. I quickly learned that my color-coded Google calendar and weekly Sunday planning sessions were going to be critical to staying on top of classes, meetings and assignments. I often took semesters just one week at a time!
3. Go for it.
The lesson that sticks out to me the most from my Mizzou journey is the advice of just going for it! Applying for the Cornell Leadership Program led me to a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Wall Street, where we visited 11 companies and saw the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Deciding to apply for an internship that I never thought I would get led me to two amazing summer internships at Edward Jones, and ultimately, the decision to pursue accounting. Indicating my interest in global business led to a week in Brussels, Belgium, networking with firm partners and fellow interns from KPMG. All of these decisions were a bit out of my comfort zone, but led me to some of the most memorable and impactful parts of my college experience!
4. Find mentors who push you.
Elise Bartley in the School of Accountancy has had such a positive impact on me throughout my time at Mizzou. I took as many of her classes as I could, but one that certainly pushed me was advanced accounting. This course is one of the more challenging classes in the accounting program, but Dr. Bartley made it very engaging and manageable! She encouraged critical thinking over memorization, something that helped me immensely during the CPA exam. Dr. Bartley always brought a positive attitude and a smile to class, and it is apparent that she truly cares for her students. She has a way of teaching using her experiences that makes the class very interactive. She, too, has inspired me to consider a career in higher education later on, and I am very thankful to have taken her courses at Mizzou.
5. Trust the power of teamwork.
When I began my term as president for the Association of Trulaske Businesswomen, I felt very nervous because I had never led an organization before. I had so many ideas and was excited to grow the organization, but I didn’t exactly know how to get there. I did know, however, that I had an incredible executive cabinet and faculty advisor who were all there to help in any way they could. We were able to grow the organization from 25 to more than 150 members and increase the organization’s social, professional and philanthropic impact through many different avenues. This experience really taught me the power of teamwork and what we can accomplish together.
6. Celebrate your milestones.
A moment that made me feel confident in my path was when I received the Mizzou ’39 award during my senior year. I have always had a passion to increase female representation in business, finance and accounting, so reflecting on how I have been able to hopefully leave that legacy behind me at Mizzou was incredibly empowering. This experience reassured me that I’m on the right path, and I hope to continue this impact throughout my career.
7. Build relationships, not just resumes.
I would tell incoming freshmen to get involved and make connections! My college experience was shaped by the relationships I built through organizations and classes. Professionally, I recommend attending networking events, applying for internships early and being yourself during the recruiting process.
I will be joining KPMG as an audit associate in their St. Louis office in October 2025! I was able to connect with KPMG through several events hosted and organized by the firm and Trulaske’s Business Career Services office. I attended events like KPMG Trivia Night, the Amazing Race, multiple accountancy career fairs, and lots of tabling opportunities in Cornell Hall.
8. Be open to change.
I would also encourage them to be open to change and to follow their heart. I changed my emphasis area from marketing to finance to accounting and even my full-time job location from Chicago to St. Louis. I know I ended up in the right place, and it all was because of the ripple effect of changes that happened throughout my time at Mizzou.
9. Carry it forward.
From leadership opportunities to the impactful connections I have made with classmates and faculty, each experience has taught me an important lesson. Alongside technical skills from projects and internships, I gained soft skills like teamwork, adaptability and communication. Mizzou and the Trulaske College of Business’ emphasis on hands-on learning led me to classroom work and experiences including conducting full fraud investigations, completing internal audits on real companies and diving into current business case studies. I hope to take these educational experiences and apply them to my professional life in combination with the personal lessons I have learned from so many meaningful people along the way.
10. Leave a legacy.
My grandfather, Dr. Nigel Kalton, taught mathematics at Mizzou for 30 years and was named a Curators’ Distinguished Professor during his time here. My mom, Dr. Carrie Ellis-Kalton, currently teaches here in the Department of Psychological Sciences. I have always been inspired by their shared passion for higher education and supporting the next generation of students. My mom was awarded the A&S Purple Chalk Award last spring — a testament to her gift for connecting with students and creating engaging learning environments. She is adored by her students and consistently goes above and beyond to support them. I would be honored to someday continue both her and my grandfather’s legacies at Mizzou and impact students in accounting and business the way they have been able to in their fields.
Kalton and her mother, Carrie Ellis-Kalton and Kalton's grandfather, Nigel Kalton (1946-2010).
