Born in Canada, raised in the Cayman Islands, schooled in Florida, Avery Lambert (BS/MS ’26) says she would be happy to settle down in New York City in the future. She applied early decision to NYU Stern because of its location in Manhattan as well as its reputation for excellence, but if it weren’t for her scholarship, she would have pursued her education elsewhere.

“Being in New York City was definitely a big factor in choosing Stern,” Avery recalled. “It took some adjusting at first when you come from a small island with one movie theater. But I love walking around the City, especially along the piers on the Hudson River, biking in Central Park, and going to Broadway shows.”

Originally planning to concentrate in economics, Avery switched to finance and accounting after attending several Stern Talks sessions. “I was impressed with the alumni who spoke about their careers at EY and KPMG, among others—I was interested in their day-to-day and the work they do and the opportunities that those careers have given them and what it looks like further down the road. The work-life balance, the travel, and the types of clients they work with, mainly financial services, appealed to me, especially as I’m concentrating in both finance and then after graduation doing the summer master’s program in accounting.”

In addition to her finance and accounting classes, Avery appreciated the greater perspective she gained in the Business and Society class, taught by Professor Dr. Kate Brideau.  “It was good to step back from the details and see the bigger impact,” she said.

It takes determination and discipline to continue going to more classes directly after college graduation, but those are qualities Avery developed in abundance as a competitive open-water swimmer during her formative years.  She swam 5K and 10K events all over the Caribbean, North America, and in Europe, and continued competing in the pool for NYU’s swim team during her first year at Stern. But swimming was soon crowded out by her other extracurriculars, such as the Economic Development Group and the Stern Accounting Society. Avery has also served as a residence advisor, participated in a phone-a-thon to raise funds for scholarships for others, and studied abroad in London in the fall of her junior year.

Avery swam 5K and 10K events all over the Caribbean, North America, and in Europe, and continued competing in the pool for NYU’s swim team during her first year at Stern

This summer Avery will intern at EY. She hopes to continue her dream of living and working in New York after graduation. "The KPMG-Michael R. Nanus Memorial Scholarship has made such a huge impact on my career and on my life—being able to live in New York City and get the jobs I want. I'm really grateful for it."