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When Terena Grice delivered her first accounting presentation at Queen’s, she received a standing ovation. Ms. Grice had only just begun as Financial Services’ support and training coordinator, but with the enthusiastic reaction, she knew she was onto something. 

“I used real-life experiences to drive home the accounting concepts I was explaining. The audience was engaged and I knew they were getting it. It turned out to be a defining moment for me,” she says. “When I got back to my office my inbox was flooded with emails from attendees who said, ‘thank you for making it simple,’ and I never forgot that.”

Ms. Grice began working at Queen’s after graduating high school and has held a number of positions, all within Financial Services, over her nearly 39 years at the university. She started as an intermediate clerk, with limited responsibilities.

“I spent the entire day typing travel expense cheques,” says Ms. Grice, adding with a laugh, “I was pretty young, so that was enough responsibility at the time.”

From there she quickly moved to a senior clerk position administering research projects and then became assistant manager of account administration. There she continued to develop her financial know-how and became closely acquainted with the university’s operating budget and various funds, seeing how they all tied into “Queen’s bigger financial picture.” Always keen to learn new skills, Ms. Grice frequently took advantage of training courses offered at Queen’s, took part-time accounting courses and did on-the-job training whenever possible.

When she reached her current position in 1990, Ms. Grice knew she’d found her niche. Teaching other staff, especially departmental administrators, the ins and outs of Queen’s accounting system is something that came to her naturally. 

“The ability to translate accounting terms into user-friendly language and to recognize different learning styles is something that’s always helped me connect with people,” she says. “When I watch someone reach a turning point in their learning, that’s when I can say it’s been a good day.”

It’s been more than just a love of teaching and finances that’s kept Ms. Grice at Queen’s for so long. Her colleagues have played an important role as well.

“I’m both proud and privileged to work with such an incredibly talented and dedicated team of experts and leaders. I’m not an accountant, but I’ve been afforded opportunities to work alongside of them for my whole career. Many have mentored me along the way and enabled me to do what I do.”

As Financial Services migrates their training to online modules from classroom lessons, Ms. Grice remains passionate about the work. “My commitment to providing guidance and support to the Queen’s administrative community continues to be a priority for me. It’s what I love to do.”

Suggestions for profiles can be sent to andrew.carroll@queensu.ca.