Amelia Nicholas鈥 mom told her to never put all her eggs in one basket.

That鈥檚 why the Trinidad and Tobago resident cast a wide net as she began her college search, applying to schools in Tampa, England, Canada, Pittsburgh and everywhere in between. 

Back on the Bluff

Amelia鈥檚 mom completed an online master鈥檚 program at Duquesne in 2017, and she has fond memories of visiting campus for her mother鈥檚 commencement ceremony. During that visit, the future Accounting and Business Analytics double-major saw snow for the first time and cemented her interest in life on the Bluff. 
 

Amelia Nicholas and the Duquesne Rowing Team practice on the river
Amelia Nicholas and teammates enjoy an early morning practice on the river
Amelia next visited Pittsburgh as a new Duquesne student. As the eldest child, she credits her independent streak with giving her the courage to attend college abroad. She adjusted to life in the United States and even walked onto the Duquesne Women鈥檚 Rowing team having never rowed before. 
 
鈥淚 used to swim, dance and play football (soccer),鈥 she said. 鈥淚 thought, why not?鈥
 
Through 4 a.m. wake-up calls, 5 a.m. practices on the river, and days loaded with class and homework, Amelia maintains a healthy balance by prioritizing her responsibilities and focusing on the task at hand. 
 
鈥淚鈥檓 always balancing school and practice and an internship downtown,鈥 she said.  

Making her mark

Amelia serves in a finance role for the Caribbean Students Association and as public relations officer of the International Student Organization. For two consecutive years she had a leadership position with the Center for Excellence in Diversity and Student Inclusion as a Pre-Orientation leader. She also is part of the ALIVE praise and worship group where she sings and plays guitar.
 
鈥淥nce a month we put on a praise and worship night in the Chapel and it makes me forget all my worries, all my struggles,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 just there in the moment.鈥 
 
Additionally, Amelia鈥檚 work as an audit intern at Ernst and Young Trinidad and Tobago and as an accounting assistant with Carnegie Learning in Downtown Pittsburgh has enabled her to garner real-world experience and explore her interests. 
 
She learned about her current internship with Carnegie Learning through Professor Valerie Williams, who was happy to support her.
 

Finding joy in accounting 

Amelia enjoys crunching numbers and following formulas and processes. She credits Duquesne鈥檚 Palumbo-Donahue School of Business faculty for trusting in her potential and making accounting fun, especially Dr. Bryan Menk
 
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a regular lecture,鈥 she said. 鈥淗e always says that reading is fundamental, and that鈥檚 what made me love accounting. You need a mindset to want to read over formats and formulas and learn step-by-step to gain understanding.鈥
 
Amelia also enjoys finding patterns and 鈥渨atching everything fall into place鈥 with accounting equations.
 
With many competition opportunities available in the Business School, Amelia has excelled, recently placing second in an internal audit case competition. She collaborated with four peers to develop a case and understand organizational risks, internal controls and possible fraud. The competition concluded as students presented to a roomful of business professionals downtown鈥攁n experience Amelia cites as 鈥渋nvaluable.鈥

Ready for what鈥檚 next 

On track to graduate in May 2026, Amelia feels like she鈥檚 prepared for anything because of the horizon-expanding education she鈥檚 received at Duquesne.
 
 鈥淚 could go the accounting or business analytics route for a job or grad school, or I could do a general MBA program,鈥 she said.
 
As for next steps, Amelia looks forward to serving as an internal audit intern over the summer. She knows this experience will further inform her future plans and build professional confidence. 
 
鈥淲e鈥檒l see if I like public or private companies, or working at a bank,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 feel like I have lots of options.鈥

News Information

News Type

Bluff Stories

Published

April 22, 2025