By Adriana Betancourt
Glenview, Illinois, native Jenna Horne has never been someone who does things halfway.
A senior finance major with a minor in accounting, Horne will graduate in May 2026 with her bachelor’s degree before completing her M.S. degree in finance in December 2026 through NIU’s accelerated program. Along the way, she has earned a financial planning certificate, Excel Expert certification, Academic All-MAC honors and gained hands-on experience in financial planning and analysis through competitive internships.
Her résumé speaks to achievement, but what it doesn’t immediately show is the discipline behind it.
Balancing Division I tennis with an accelerated graduate program requires more than talent. It demands structure, resilience and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Her days routinely begin at 8 a.m. and stretch until 8 p.m., filled with classes, training, leadership responsibilities and study sessions. This work ethic began on the tennis court.
Horne has been playing tennis since she was 9 years old. What started as something she enjoyed quickly became something she committed to seriously. Over the years, tennis shaped not only her athletic ability but her mindset.
“Being a student-athlete means there are sacrifices people don’t always see,” Horne said.
Her days now typically start at 8 a.m. and don’t end until 8 p.m., starting with classes and followed by practice, lifting, meetings, study sessions and leadership commitments. She often travels for matches and must structure her studies around that schedule.
Networking events often conflict with practice. Travel weekends mean studying on bus rides and completing group projects remotely. There are social and professional opportunities she simply cannot attend. But the trade-off has given her something powerful: The ability to dedicate time with precision. She knows exactly how long tasks will take her, and she executes efficiently. That discipline allows her to perform at a high level in every environment.
Finance wasn’t her original plan, as Horne initially considered rehabilitation services before realizing her interests aligned more strongly with finance, which was influenced by her dad’s background in the field. What began as curiosity quickly turned into passion for analysis, strategy and financial decision-making.
Today, she describes herself as deeply interested in finance, analysis and strategic planning, interests that were strengthened through both coursework and real-world experience.
Her decision to pursue the accelerated M.S. in finance degree program was intentional, as it allowed her to begin pursuing her graduate-level studies while finishing her undergraduate degree. Hands-on experience only deepened her commitment to her chosen path. In summer 2025, Horne served as a financial planning and analysis intern at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), where she gained hands-on experience in health care finance.
During her internship, she supported development and analysis of the 2026 annual budget and conducted competitive benchmarking. She also contributed to financial evaluation memos for strategic planning, assisted in monthly close processes across multiple departments and collaborated with accounting teams on journal entries and reconciliations.
While tennis is considered an individual sport, at the collegiate level, success is collective. Horne has carried that mindset into every leadership space she enters, including being a part of: Captains Council, Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Student Athlete Academic Services engagement. Through these roles, she has helped represent the student-athlete voice while advocating for well-being and academic success.
“One person’s success contributes to everyone’s success,” she said. “That mindset has shaped how I approach teamwork in business. I care about my coworkers’ success just as much as my own.”
Horne credits much of her growth to the support system within NIU’s College of Business and NIU Athletics.
Faculty members like Associate Professor Candice Hux in accounting and instructor Matthew Benning in finance have played an important role in mentoring and guiding her writing recommendations, challenging her academically and pushing her to grow.
“The College of Business pushes you, but they also support you,” she said. ““Engaging with the business community outside the classroom truly makes a difference.”
Recently, Horne was recently recognized as the College of Business Passport Student of the Month, an honor she described as one of the most rewarding parts of her undergraduate and graduate journey.
To Horne, being a Huskie means being resilient and showing up every day, even when the schedule is demanding. It means finding joy in growth and committing fully, whether that’s to a match point, a financial analysis or a leadership meeting. Wherever her career takes her next, she brings with her the mindset of a Huskie: prepared, persistent and ready to compete at the highest level.
