September 25, 2012
When Theresa Ahlstrom ’83CBA graduated from high school, the
possibility of attending college was debatable – literally.
“I came to St. John’s because I received a very generous
scholarship to be on the Speech and Debate Team,” Ahlstrom
recalled. “And for that, I am forever grateful. Simply put, it
meant the difference between getting a college education or having
to go another route, so scholarships are near and dear to
me.”
Indeed, this incredibly outgoing and generous alumna – who
currently works as a Partner at KPMG LLP – knows what it’s like to
both give and receive scholarship funding, and she was honored at
the 2012 Alumni Golf Outing for her continued support of the
University.
“It’s a great privilege to be recognized,” she said. “And the
proceeds of the golf outing go directly to scholarships, which is
particularly special. It’s my tiny way of giving back.”
The path from college to career proved to be a seamless one for
Ahlstrom, who spent her undergraduate years working
enthusiastically on the Debate team. There, she met her husband,
Robert J. Ahlstrom, Jr., Esq. ’85C, ’88L, and also gained essential
skills that would ultimately help her in the business world.
“It was certainly a lot of hard work, though I can’t say it was
always a lot of fun,” Ahlstrom joked. “But I found that the ability
to speak in public, the ability to quickly analyze information and
articulate it, prepared me quite well for my career. Debate helps
you synthesize your thoughts and think on your feet, so I am truly
grateful for the opportunity to have competed on the team.”
During her junior year, Ahlstrom became an intern at Peat, Marwick,
Mitchell & Co., which would later become KPMG. After graduating
with her degree in Accounting the following year, she received a
full-time offer to work at the company’s Long Island office.
Three decades later and Ahlstrom has worked her way up to Partner,
an incredible St. John’s success.
“I work in a wonderful environment,” she explained, “and I feel
like I learn something new every day. I’m surrounded by great
people and have always been treated well.”
Through it all, she’s never forgotten her college roots and she
currently leads KPMG’s annual campaign to support St. John’s
students. In collaboration with other alumni who work at KPMG,
Ahlstrom has helped to create two endowed scholarships and meets
each recipient at an awards ceremony held every year.
She received the University’s Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award
in 2008 and is also a frequent guest speaker at alumni events,
including the Women in Leadership panel discussion. There, she
shared her perspective and insight with today’s students.
“From college all the way through my career, I’ve received great
advice from people who have had more experience than me,” she
noted. “That’s why I enjoy doing that, listening to students and
giving them my two cents about how to deal with issues and
challenges they might be facing.”
From a grateful scholarship recipient, eager to join the Debate
team, to an incredibly generous alumna, Ahlstrom has seen both
sides of student support, and it’s given her a perspective that she
truly cherishes.
“I enjoy meeting the student recipients of our KPMG endowments,”
she said. “After our presentation is over, parents will come up to
me and express their gratitude for awarding their son and daughter
a scholarship. And inevitably a mom will start crying, I’ll start
crying, and I’ll leave the event with happy tears knowing that
we’ve made a small difference and made a college education
possible.”