Ben Hayhurst ‘15 has two words for what initially drew him to Shippensburg University: affordable quality.

Hayhurst, once a dual major in accounting and management information systems, is currently in the Business Administration, Business Analytics, M.B.A. program. He took notice of Ship’s reputation for excellent pass rates for the Certified Public Accountant Examination.

“I became one of the many Ship accounting grads to pass the CPA exam on the first try thanks to the accounting program and the school’s close relationships with local public accounting firms,” Hayhurst said.

Now that he’s a graduate student, Hayhurst is still benefitting from the relationships he has in the John L. Grove College of Business.

“Authentic advice from faculty has helped guide my professional decisions,” Hayhurst said.

Those professional decisions include time as a student computer technician at Ship, an internal IT audit intern with Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, and an internship with Boyer & Ritter, LLC that turned into a full-time job as an associate after graduation. Hayhurst has since gone on to work as a senior accounting/financial analyst with WellSpan Health before a promotion to an accounting supervisor role. Additionally, his graduate program has opened the door to become a contracted Excel instructor for local businesses on behalf of Ship.

“Ship set me in the direction towards holistic success. It’s a strong and respected education without the drowning burden of unmanageable student loans,” Hayhurst said.

Hayhurst is a graduate of Shippensburg Area Senior High School.