Mia McDonald

Senior Associate, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C.: Age 24

Mia McDonald

It’s a good thing Mia McDonald likes her employer so much, as she’s never worked anywhere else in her professional career.

With a lifelong aptitude for math, she figured her best career options, while studying at Westfield State University, were math teacher and actuary, and she leaned toward the latter, but once she began taking some accounting courses, she was hooked.

While still in college, she secured an accounting internship at Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) and never left, handling a wide variety of responsibilities today in the audit and assurance realm.

“I love how you’re never working with the same type of things; there are new challenges and new things to learn every day. I feel my confidence growing as I’m talking to clients and becoming more familiar with the issues people are facing,” she explained. “I wanted to be a teacher initially, and there are so many great opportunities in the field where I can use some of those teaching skills to build other people up.”

Even though she’s only 24 — making her one of the youngest ever recognized by 40 Under Forty — part of McDonald’s role is being a mentor to other team members, which comes naturally because she has been mentored herself.

“It’s cool being this young and getting this award, but I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the mentorships and strong women who gave me the opportunities I’ve had,” she said, naming Chelsea Russell and Kristi Reale as two who have given her a seat at the table. “That’s been huge in my four years at MBK, and I love being able to pass that down.”

McDonald is also very active in the community, spearheading community-service events for Girls on the Run, Winter Walk, and Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, while partipating in events for Square One, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, United Way of Pioneer Valley, Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, a Bed for Every Child, and HCS Head Start, among others. She also coaches cross country and track and field at Westfield State.

“A lot of it comes from being at MBK and seeing the focus that they have on the community,” she said. “It’s really empowering to be able to give back to these organizations, especially one like Girls on the Run, whose mission and values are so close to everything I love and the things I’m passionate about.”

—Joseph Bednar