Accountancy student finds getting involved key to Mizzou experience

When Cade Koehly was in high school, he dreamed of attending college somewhere out of state and far from his small hometown of Chillicothe, Missouri. He wanted adventure but to appease his parents, the gregarious teenager applied to the University of Missouri. 

Turns out, Koehly found everything he wanted and more at Mizzou, where he was accepted into the Cornell Leadership Program at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. On Friday, Koehly -- who has held numerous leadership roles on campus, including a stint as president of the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board (AASB) -- will graduate with a master of accountancy degree. 

Koehly can’t imagine a better home than Mizzou.

“This is where I needed to be all along,” he said. “I truly mean that. I can’t imagine going anywhere else.”

Small town, big spirit

For Koehly, attending a small high school meant all-hands-on-deck when it came to participation in sports and activities. He brought that same mentality to Mizzou, where he embraced student involvement. 

“Getting involved made such a difference for me,” he said. “I would encourage every Mizzou freshman to get involved in something inside and outside their academic school. That’s where you make your friends and your memories -- and where you build yourself as a person.”

During his time at Mizzou, Koehly served as a business ambassador with the Trulaske College of Business, giving tours of Cornell Hall to prospective students and assisting with presentations to incoming freshmen and their families. In fact, he took advantage of almost every leadership opportunity he encountered at Trulaske, which included joining the Trulaske Student Council and the Beta Eta Chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. He also served as mentorship coordinator for the Cornell Leadership Program, ag-tech team lead analyst for the Allen Angel Capital Education Program and a counselor for Camp Trulaske.

On campus, Koehly served on the MU Homecoming Steering Committee and as new member educator and class president for the Zeta Phi Chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity on campus. 

Koehly’s favorite Mizzou memory is celebrating at the Columns the night he was elected president of the AASB. He’d received a message from the outgoing president who wanted to meet him at the Columns to discuss the transition. When Koehly arrived, he was surprised by 30 of his best friends. 

“It was an amazing, magical experience to be at this historic place on campus, celebrating with all the people who love me,” he recalled. “I’ll never forget it.”

Work hard, play hard

While his parents didn’t attend Mizzou, Koehly grew up traveling to campus for Tiger football games with his dad, a loyal season ticket holder. His dad, who’s a partner in an insurance firm and lives on a horse ranch, also trains horses on the side for rodeo roping. 

Koehly learned young how to work hard, whether that meant feeding horses, mending fences or repairing a barn. 

“I love problem-solving and approach every situation with a gritty and determined mindset, which I learned and cultivated from years growing up on a horse ranch,” he said. 

Koehly applied this same mindset to college, where he barreled into schoolwork and activities with enthusiastic abandon, sometimes cramming into a day more experiences than he ever imagined. 

“Yes, I ran on fumes a few times, but the tradeoff was meeting amazing people,” he said. “Fortunately, I was able to maintain good grades and still be involved on campus.”

Among the many people Koehly credits with mentoring him along the way is Mary Beth Marrs, director of the Cornell Leadership Program, who once encouraged him “to be an interesting person.” He took her advice to heart.

“To me, being an interesting person is getting involved,” Koehly said.

On the horizon

 After graduation, Koehly will join KPMG US in Chicago, one of the world’s leading professional services firms and fastest growing Big Four accounting firms in the U.S. But first, he has to complete a series of CPA exams which will take until June 2024. In the meantime, he’ll backpack through Europe with friends.  

Perhaps the greatest lesson Koehly has learned these past four years is to embrace each moment and enjoy it. 

“School and organizations are really important but so is living in the moment and making sure you’re enjoying what’s in front of you,” he said. “Sometimes I get so amused with my 18-year-old self who thought he wanted to go to college out of state. I am so happy I picked Mizzou and so grateful for how it all turned out.”