Trystyn Hoffman

It’s not every day that one confesses a love for accounting, but Trystyn Hoffman has done so since middle school.

In addition to her affinity for bookkeeping, she is quick to name the other values driving her pursuit of a business career: people and giving back to her community.

“In high school, I did a lot of community service,” Trystyn says. “After losing my mom at a young age, I really prioritized wanting to make the community a better place. So that’s pretty important to me.”

To that end, Trystyn raised over $1,000 to help those in her rural Wisconsin community affected by domestic violence. She has aspirations to continue that service in the Madison community while in college. 

“As a first-generation college student, I’m the first in my family to really go far, and that’s very important to me.”

During her sophomore year of high school, Trystyn applied and was accepted into WSB’s Business Emerging Leaders (BEL) Program, a college preparatory program for students from diverse backgrounds that have strong academic records and leadership skills. She is proud of the fact that she’s the first in her family to attend college. 

“As a first-generation college student, I’m the first in my family to really go far, and that’s very important to me,” Trystyn says. “Coming to UW–Madison was originally very intimidating, but BEL really helped with that. I felt like I had people to turn to and not feel judged if I asked a silly question.”

She credits her dad as her biggest inspiration and the one who instilled in her a strong work ethic and drive to reach farther.

“He raised me and my other two siblings on his own, and he did a great job,” says Trystyn. “I get my strong work ethic from him, which I’m very grateful for. The way he raised us around work and being independent really helped me get to where I am.”

“Being inclusive is very important to me.”

Trystyn is eager to explore her career options in accounting and to work more closely with peers on projects. An inclusive leader and self-starter, Trystyn organizes meet and greets in her residence hall and seeks opportunities to lean into campus life through student organizations.

“I don’t like leaving people out of things or letting people get left behind,” she says. “Being inclusive is very important to me. People can place their trust in me to either get things done or come to me as someone that they know they can count on if they need help.”