Student Experience
Life Beyond the Redwoods: Evelyne Gong at Deloitte
One year after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Evelyne Gong (Oakes ’25, business management economics) is an audit and assurance associate at Deloitte, one of the Big Four accounting firms.
Evelyne Gong graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2025 with a degree in business management economics with a concentration in accounting.
Evelyne Gong (Oakes ’25, business management economics) transferred to UC Santa Cruz in 2023 from Clark University in Massachusetts, drawn in part by the chance to be closer to her family and in her home state of California. Her time at the university only reaffirmed that it was the right choice for her. Now, a year after graduating, Gong is an audit and assurance associate at Deloitte, one of the Big Four accounting firms.
In her role at the firm, Gong ensures that companies’ financial statements are accurate and compliant with current regulations and accounting standards, including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), the standard framework used in the U.S., and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), used by many countries outside the U.S. She also works with clients across multiple industries, including consumer business, financial services, and entertainment and media, to identify misstatements or compliance issues and evaluate internal processes.
Her favorite part of her job is the collaboration across the firm, where she gets to join teams who bring different perspectives, expertise, and creative energy. She likes the cross-functional collaboration that helps her make her work more insightful, accurate, and more connected to how a company truly operates. For her, those conversations—the walkthroughs, the control discussions, the shared problem‑solving—are what make the job meaningful.
“Whether it is asking a simple question or tackling an in-depth workpaper, everyone is happy to help. I have been able to meet and get to know so many people within my cohort, local office, and the firm as a whole.”
At UC Santa Cruz, Gong pursued a degree in business management economics, with a concentration in accounting. She says that the coursework within her major prepared her for a career immediately after graduating.
“UC Santa Cruz gave me a clear understanding of what my occupation would involve, and the coursework, projects, and guidance from professors equipped me with practical skills I use every day—from analytical frameworks to communication and problem‑solving tools that support my success in my career.”
In addition to her coursework, Gong was a student intern at the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center (AAPIRC) at UC Santa Cruz. In her role, Gong helped plan and coordinate events that supported the center’s community and connected students with campus resources. Additionally, Gong was an Economics Department peer adviser where she supported students in planning their academic paths and offered guidance on declaring a major in the Economics Department. In this role, she helped students understand degree requirements, explore course options, and make informed decisions about their academic goals, while working alongside the Economics faculty.
“My experience working at AAPIRC and the Economics Department gave me a strong foundation in community engagement and academic support. In both environments, I was able to support peers through programs and mentorship,” Gong said. “Together, these roles strengthened my communication skills and deepened my commitment to support students across different communities.”
Looking ahead in her career, Gong plans to become a Certified Public Accountant.
Life Beyond the Redwoods features ten Class of 2025 alumni who share how their time at UC Santa Cruz prepared them to launch their careers one year after graduation.