The fifth annual Crossroads Speaker Series at UCF Downtown opened with a story that began long before its storyteller ever stepped onto a college campus.

Standing before a room of business leaders, community partners and fellow students, UCF junior Mariana Guerrero introduced herself not only as an accounting major in the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting and a Burnett Honors College student, but as someone shaped by a lifetime of seeing what meaningful engagement can do.

Born and raised in Orlando, Guerrero grew up with UCF woven into her life. Her parents, both proud Knights, spent their early careers working full time while attending school part time. Her mother’s two decades in government and community relations meant that childhood weekends were often spent at university events long before she understood what it meant to belong to a campus community.

So when it came time to apply to college, she submitted only one application.

“I have always been a Knight,” she said.

Her parents’ work ethic allowed her to fully immerse herself at UCF. She joined the College of Business Ambassadors, now serving as vice chair, became active in the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), mentors two students, and chairs the President’s Leadership Council. Each role, she says, has deepened her sense of community and purpose.

Her interest in accounting began at age 13, when her parents enrolled her in a financial literacy summer camp she initially resisted.

“I just wanted to be a normal teenager,” she said.

Instead, she discovered how engaging personal finance could be, especially through the board game Cash Flow, which she played so often her cousins eventually called her for help.

That curiosity grew in high school, where she researched teen financial literacy and realized how few young people had access to the conversations her parents encouraged at home. When she took her first financial accounting class at UCF, her interests aligned, and she began envisioning a future where her love of numbers could translate into meaningful work.

Her professional world expanded quickly. She represented UCF in competitions, including the KPMG-sponsored HSI Battle of the Brains Case Competition, where UCF won first place. She attended leadership programs at the KPMG Lakehouse and joined the firm’s Global Advantage Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Next summer, she will return to KPMG as an audit intern, with plans to earn her CPA and begin her career in public accounting.

Guerrero closed her remarks with gratitude for her family, for UCF and for partnerships like the one between the university and KPMG.

“I am excited to make the leap from being an involved UCF student to being an engaged UCF alumna,” she says.

Her introduction set the tone for an evening focused on shared purpose.

Impact of Partnership

UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright followed by highlighting the significance of the Crossroads Speaker Series and its partnership with Dr. Phillips Charities. The series, he said, is designed to explore how business, philanthropy and values-based leadership can work together to create positive change.

Cartwright emphasized KPMG’s engagement across the university, from supporting the Professional Selling Program to mentoring students at the KPMG Lakehouse. Their recent support of UCF Space Week reflects a partnership committed to innovation across disciplines.

He also spoke about UCF’s continued momentum, including achieving the final metric required for Florida’s Preeminent University designation.

“That is what makes UCF remarkable,” he said. “We open doors, spark possibility and empower students to make a lasting difference.”

“That is what makes UCF remarkable. We open doors, spark possibility and empower students to make a lasting difference.” — UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright

Remarks from Ken Robinson, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Charities, reinforced the importance of investing in people and partnerships. From there, the evening shifted to its featured conversation.

Sherry Magee ’92, senior director of community relations at the KPMG Lakehouse and a UCF College of Business graduate, moderated a fireside chat with Jennifer Flynn Dear, managing director of corporate affairs for KPMG US—offering the audience a close look at leadership, service and purpose through Dear’s experience.

“We are so lucky to have UCF in our community,” Dear began. “They are wonderful community partners as well as a stellar business school thanks to the excellent Kenneth Dixon School of Accounting, KPMG accepts 70% of UCF applicants.”

Her career with the company began more than 25 years ago when she moved to New York City hoping for an advertising career. Feeling overwhelmed on her first day, she called her mother to say she would not last. Instead, she built a career across 12 areas of the organization, learning continuously.

One of her most memorable projects involved partnering with the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, to raise awareness for adoption issues. That work sparked a passion for connecting business with causes that matter.

“I like pairing business and industry to raise awareness of an issue,” she said.

Dear shared that KPMG employees have donated more than $67 million and logged 130,000 volunteer hours. She takes special pride in the firm’s work in education and mental well-being, noting that KPMG Family for Literacy has provided more than 7 million new books to children in low-income communities since 2008.

The more employees get involved, she said, the more fulfilled they feel.

“Even before Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, KPMG had a match set up for hurricane assistance, and participation was incredible.”

Philanthropy, she added, is considered an obligation as employees advance.

She also described the KPMG Lakehouse, a learning and innovation center where employees and clients engage with emerging technologies and leadership training.

“We train every day on AI,” she said. “We invested $2 billion in Microsoft to keep our data safe and to be more efficient and effective.”

The evening closed with remarks from Rodney M. Grabowski, UCF’s senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the UCF Foundation.

“This is our fifth year for Crossroads,” he said. “We are grateful to Dr. Phillips Charities, to Mariana Guerrero, and to KPMG and Jennifer Flynn Dear for sharing their stories. Thank you for joining us. Go Knights and Charge On!”