Extracurricular Activities:Volleyball Team, SAC, SAAC
What career or personal update would you like to give to your fellow Florida Tech Panthers alumni?
I recently celebrated my 4th year at Accenture, where I started shortly after graduating with my MBA. I've been lucky enough to go through 4 promotions in that time and gain a tremendous amount of experience. You may remember me as Becca Bower, but I married Florida Tech baseball pitcher, Rhett Willis, in 2022. We have two dogs, Stella & Artois, and just bought a new home in Palm Harbor. I am on the Women of Influence Committee of the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and an Emerging Leader Member of the organization.
How did your time at Florida Tech help get you to where you are today?
My MBA was crucial to getting my interviews and for doing well in the case study portions of my interviews. My undergraduate degree taught me the problem-solving skills, time management, and commitment necessary to excel in a corporate world. It sounds incredibly cliche, but it really is the truth. I may not remember the applications of Laplace's formula, but I do remember the value of working through tough problems, impossible ones even. I will also say, Florida Tech left me well-rounded, with classes in Physics, Chemistry, and Software Engineering along with my main focus in Mathematics. Particularly, in a technology firm, my software engineering and logic-based theory classes have truly found a real-world application.
What is your favorite Florida Tech memory?
I don't have one single favorite memory, but I do remember countless times walking from my apartment in Southgate with my friends and roommates. We would see other athletes and friends our entire route, getting Sushi on Wednesdays, or Panther Cups in the grocery. I swiped my student card hundreds of times at Clemente and always saw someone I knew in the lobby or on my way to the locker room. Walking around campus was special.
Was there a mentor or professor who had a big impact on you personally and/or professionally?
I had two professors that I still think of today - Dr. Subasi, in the math department; and Dr. Smeltz, in the Chem department. Both professors were great examples of successful women that I admired (and still do). Dr. Smeltz basically taught me Chem 1 through just study guides, and I found a real joy for the subject taking her Chem 2 class. It takes a special person to reinvigorate passion for a subject, and to really, genuinely teach an understanding of anything to the level she did. She continued to follow me long after my courses with her, and her sincere care for my success was something I won't forget. Dr. Subasi was a mentor to me before I even arrived on campus for my first day. She invited me to a summer program, where I got my first glimpse of campus life and classes. From there, she began a true mentor to me throughout my time in my undergraduate. Some of her classes made a lot more sense than others, but no matter what, she was always willing to help and really cared about us actually learning. We became friends in my 4 years of undergrad and I am so thankful for her friendship, mentorship, and passion for mathematics.
Please share any advice you have for current Florida Tech students.
Go to class, take notes, and get to know your professors. We are privileged to have small class sizes and access to our professors. Attend career fairs and don't take them too seriously, it will work out. Finally, enjoy every minute of the Rat, dining hall, and all the other hang out spots. Attend athletic events and apply for awards. Make the most out of it - I promise you won't regret it!
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