MONACA, Pa. — It’s been just over a year since JoAnn Maxin graduated from Penn State Beaver, but what a successful year it has been. Maxin, a spring 2024 graduate with a degree in business management and marketing, is now working as a staff accountant for eBay.
While her post-Penn State success was rapid and linear, Maxin didn’t have a traditional path from high school to her current role.
She graduated from high school in 2007 and spent a year at community college. She took a break when she had her daughter and eventually earned her associate degree in accounting in 2020.
Maxin said she decided to continue her education to earn a four-year degree at Penn State Beaver in the fall of 2022. She laughed when she talked about her family being dedicated fans of a rival school, but she was set on Penn State. She moved with her husband and children to Beaver County so she could be on campus every day. “I wanted to be all in-person,” she said.
Maxin made the most of her time on campus earning a 4.0 grade point average while working, raising three children, and being involved in campus life.
After graduation she began looking for a job that would allow her to work remotely. She wanted to work in accounting and had prior work experience in that field, she said, and so began her search to find the right job.
“Penn State Beaver provided the classes I needed to succeed after graduation … They taught us important technical and soft skills to excel in our new roles,” she said. “They are hands-down the best faculty.”
Maxin said she remembered advice from Dan Smith, associate teaching professor of business at Penn State Beaver, to always make a cover letter specific to a role. She also worked with a Penn State alumna Cheryl Bean, president of Horizon Human Resources, to improve her resume.
“I’m smart, determined and motivated,” Maxin said. “I knew if I could get an interview I would get a job.”
She saw an opening for a junior accountant at a company called Caramel, a company that facilitates online automobile sales. She applied and received an email two hours later asking if she was proficient at using QuickBooks. She had experience from a previous job and was hired as a staff accountant.
After several months and some staff changes at Caramel, Maxin found herself running a multi-million-dollar finance department.
In November 2024, eBay made an offer to acquire Caramel, and Maxin said she started learning about mergers and acquisitions. The acquisition was finalized in February, and Maxin is part of the controllership team for off-site revenue. Her new role also came with a raise, better benefits and some opportunities to travel for work.
Smith said Maxin is the first Penn State Beaver graduate to “break into the Silicon Valley.”
“I never thought I’d be here,” Maxin said. “eBay is a wonderful company to work for. They value me.”
Maxin is currently taking advanced accounting classes at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and preparing to take the certified public accountant test in March 2026.