Alexus Russell: Flourishing at Wells Fargo and Helping Small Businesses Thrive

Alexus Russell grew up with parents who ran their own businesses. She witnessed how challenging it was to keep them afloat, particularly when it came to balancing the finances. She began helping out with the books and developed an aspiration to turn her burgeoning skills into a career.

Her practical experience, coupled with the knowledge she gained earning a degree in accounting from the College of Business Administration at the University of MissouriÔÇôSt. Louis, primed Russell for her career in finance and current role as a senior financial controls and oversight analyst at Wells Fargo where sheÔÇÖs been for nearly two years.

Russell is part of a team that ensures her company has and maintains financial and internal controls as mandated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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RussellÔÇÖs interest in accounting and business began when she was in grade school, having observed other business owners struggle with finances.

ÔÇ£A lot of people werenÔÇÖt the best at managing business finances and understanding money ÔÇô what to do with it and how to assess it,ÔÇØ Russell said. ÔÇ£So IÔÇÖd say probably around 10 or 11, I was like, ÔÇÿYeah, these people need help with their money. IÔÇÖm going to do their accounting for them. And thatÔÇÖs kind of where it bloomed.ÔÇØ

Later, while a junior at McCluer South-Berkeley High School, Russell decided she wanted an even more rigorous curriculum. She went to then-superintendent Art McCoy ÔÇô an UMSL graduate ÔÇô who told her about dual enrollment courses at the university. At the time, the district didnÔÇÖt have some of the advanced courses she wanted, so the dual enrollment option seemed like a great idea that would help her reach her academic goals.

ÔÇ£From that, I graduated and got a full ride to the Pierre Laclede Honors College,ÔÇØ Russell said.

But Russell wanted to experience life outside St. Louis and instead enrolled at Regis University in Denver to study business.

ÔÇ£I was born and raised here,ÔÇØ Russell said. ÔÇ£So it wasnÔÇÖt my dream to go to the college down the street from where I just went to high school and grew up. I wanted to get away.ÔÇØ

But after two years, she decided that St. Louis was actually where she wanted to be. Russell moved back home and enrolled in the College of Business Administration at UMSL, which turned out to be more to her liking than Regis. She distinctly remembers when one of her professors took an unorthodox approach to teaching and canceled class and homework if the students went to an accounting workshop. Russell went, and her view of accounting and those in the profession was transformed.

Instead of a stereotypical boring and tightly wound group, Russell connected with warm and friendly professionals and met an auditor for the first time. From that experience, she began attending accounting networking events and made contacts. One was a recruiter from KPMG, one of the largest accounting firms in the country.

In her senior year, she secured an opportunity with the firm as an audit intern. After graduating from UMSL, she was hired at KPMG as an associate. After nearly two years, she was promoted to a senior audit associate.

Russell pursued and met her goal of becoming an accounting and finance professional. Though her path could be considered complicated, she believes it worked out for the best.

ÔÇ£The path was tumultuous at best,ÔÇØ Russell said, ÔÇ£but I think it was a good path in life because I was a student who felt as though everything was linear ÔÇô step A, step B, step C ÔÇô and had I gone to UMSL in the beginning, I think that I would have never gotten into the mindset of just being agile and knowing how to go with the flow. I was very, very rigid.ÔÇØ

Looking ahead at what would be her second act, Russell is very interested in community building. One of her goals is to have her own nonprofit that helps small businesses maintain financial viability.

ÔÇ£I saw people that were my age are coming up, wanting to have businesses, but their businesses always failed in the first two to three years because they didnÔÇÖt know what to do with their money,ÔÇØ she said. ÔÇ£They didnÔÇÖt have any idea about their accounting. I want to teach these people how to do this so that they can have sustainable small businesses.ÔÇØ

Though her passion for being of service is strong, that vision may be far down the line. Observing what her parents have gone through running their own businesses and how grueling it can be, sheÔÇÖs in no rush to forgo the stability of corporate work.

ÔÇ£Watching their entrepreneurship journey showed me, ÔÇÿI donÔÇÖt want to do that,ÔÇÖÔÇØ she said. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs hard. ItÔÇÖs a constant grind. If itÔÇÖs on fire, they have to handle it. I donÔÇÖt want to live my life like that. As an entrepreneur, even if you donÔÇÖt want to, itÔÇÖs kind of not really a choice because if you donÔÇÖt handle the problem, youÔÇÖre going to come back and itÔÇÖs usually going to be a bigger problem.ÔÇØ

Until sheÔÇÖs ready, Russell satisfies her ambition to help others by volunteering her time with small businesses answering basic accounting inquiries, directing owners to colleagues and other resources. Her time at UMSL not only gave her the tools but also aided in strengthening her perspective on the significance of that work.

ÔÇ£I donÔÇÖt like when the small people get stepped on,ÔÇØ Russell said, ÔÇ£when honestly, the small people are the people who keep the country running.ÔÇØ

Short URL: https://blogs.umsl.edu/news/?p=99786