Thrive together

Hang around the Baltimore metro area long enough, and you’re bound to hear someone call the city “Small-timore.” The nickname embodies the small-town feel the city can have, arising from frequently bumping into people you know, especially in unexpected places. The phenomenon shrinks the city into a network of friends and neighbors.  

It was a similar sense of community that drew Jayla Prince ’19, ’20, Renee Collins ’10 and Aileen Eskildsen ’95 to Towson University as students and then to Baltimore public accounting firm Ellin & Tucker after graduation.

TU’s College of Business was another draw for all three. The college is among the 2% of schools in the world that is AACSB accredited for business and accounting.

[My time at TU] really carried me through becoming successful here because the biggest part is communication.

Renee Collins ’10

“I loved learning how a business ran: What was their business model, how did they make money, how did they lose money, what was driving their success?” says Eskildsen, Ellin & Tucker’s CEO. “Doing so through accounting was a perfect fit [for me].”

Prince and Collins stress the variety of ways they felt prepared by their time at TU.

“Towson did a really good job of making sure topics on the CPA exam were included in my classes,” Prince says. “They also gave projects that involved collaborative teamwork and problem-solving. That's really helped me transition into my role today.”

Collins still leans on soft skills she picked up as a student-athlete in TU’s track and field program. 

“I learned how to be organized by juggling accounting and athletics,” she says. “Learning effective communication with professors, teammates, coaches, classmates helped with time and responsibility management. That really carried me through becoming successful here because the biggest part is communication.”

Arriving at Ellin & Tucker

Each woman came to the firm in her own way. Collins interviewed right out of college, without interning. Eskildsen completed an internship in a corporate accounting role at a local business, and from that experience, became disillusioned with the field. She credits her adviser, Norma Holter, Ph.D., (now retired) with helping broaden her vision of a career path, pointing out other professional avenues Eskildsen could pursue.

“My anxiety dropped because she was showing me the pathway forward wasn't always straight,” Eskildsen says. “I left her office feeling lighter and filled with hope that anything was possible. I just had to find my next opportunity.”

Aileen Eskildsen ’95, Ellin & Tucker’s CEO (top); Renee Collins ’10 (left), Jayla Prince ’19, ’20 (right)

Looking, in isolation, at the fact Prince interned at Ellin & Tucker eight times, you could conclude she was less sure. In fact, all those internships helped her complete an accelerated master’s program at TU and study for her CPA exam while cementing her decision to start full-time at the firm after graduation.

“I feel like I'm really helping clients,” she says. “I'm working from the inside out for our clients. Being involved in all the things they have going on to help maintain their business is something that keeps me motivated every day.”

An ethos of connection and service

Each generation of the three TU grads found the atmosphere at Ellin & Tucker welcoming and supportive, with an ethos of connections between colleagues and with the city the firm has called home for the last 80 years. 

Everything we do is truly about people...

Aileen Eskildsen ’95

“Everything we do is truly about people, whether it’s giving the people on our team resources they need or if it’s the relationships with our clients—to us, they're personal,” Eskildsen says.  

A core tenet of the firm’s culture is community service. A popular outreach arm is the Giving Back Committee, which organizes community service days and internal fundraisers that benefit organizations throughout greater Baltimore.

“We connect with youth programs and help with neighborhood clean ups,” Prince says. “Having a firm that supports serving others not just by giving money but going into the communities and serving others brings us together closer as a firm. I get to know a lot of my coworkers more and to know the city more.”

For Collins, serving the community also means the one inside Ellin & Tucker. 

“I wouldn't be here today without the people who focused on it for me,” she says. “I’ve learned from Aileen about having confidence but leaning on those around you when you need to. Watching her have a family and be such a role model in Baltimore has made me want to be a role model for women, for working moms, for people that have lives outside of work.”

Tiger pride

Eskildsen is quick to point out the thick ties that connect the firm with TU. She and Collins—who was on the firm’s hiring committee—both described TU graduates as having grit and being hungry to work.

[TU] gave projects that involved collaborative teamwork and problem-solving. That's really helped me transition into my role today.

Jayla Prince ’19, ’20

“I would say 30% of our partners are Towson grads,” Eskildsen says. “Most of them, the only career they've had is here at Ellin & Tucker. A lot of Towson students are going to school and financing their own education. They are excited to start their career because they know what that means for them to be financially secure, to be able to have a family. They have had a lot of success incorporating that same mentality within our organization.”

Reaching a milestone

This year, Ellin & Tucker is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Eskildsen is celebrating her 30th with the firm. She has been the CEO for three years, but she sees herself as more of a steward.

“We want to continue to position the firm to grow and thrive, to make meaningful investments in our business to celebrate our 90th as an independent firm,” she says. 

A city resident

One of those investments is a new headquarters in Harbor East, designed specifically to support their clients’ needs and the firm’s overall growth. 

30% of the company's partners are TU grads.

“We made a commitment to never leave the city. It's part of who we are,” Eskildsen says. “I love the people of Baltimore. There is a source of city pride in folks from Baltimore. You can't replicate that. It's authentic.”

The authenticity inside Ellin & Tucker is something Eskildsen keeps a close eye on, as the firm embarks on its next decade.

“We're going through a dynamic change right now. But I’m proud we’ve grown without losing sight of who we are and what we want to do—value people, build connections, thrive together.”