By Steven Krolak
(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)–Five IU Southeast accounting students will receive a total of $7,000 in scholarships from the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants (KyCPA).
The students are: Casie Adams, Amanda Brandstetter, Troy Nally, Jacob Schmidt, and Hannah Wilbert.
This marks the first time the KyCPA, which this year will award 43 students from 14 institutions, has extended scholarships to students from IU Southeast.
Founded in 1924, the KyCPA is a statewide, non-profit professional organization serving nearly 4,500 CPAs in public accounting firms, business, industry, government and education. In 1961, KyCPA established an Educational Foundation to strengthen and advance the profession through enriched educational programs and scholarships.
“Receiving a KyCPA Educational Foundation scholarship is one of the highest accounting recognitions in the state,” said Jaclyn Badeau, a CPA and former chair of KyCPA Educational Foundation board of trustees. “This scholarship demonstrates that we believe you will be a strong advocate for the CPA profession and uphold our values–it really sets you apart from others.”
Besides maintaining a GPA of 2.75 or above, applicants must have taken or be taking Intermediate Accounting, in addition to other requirements.
“We look for those outstanding, well-rounded students who are able to articulate their story, achievements, plans for CPA licensure, and reasons why they should receive a scholarship,” Badeau said. “Additionally, we seek those students who can demonstrate their leadership and service through extracurricular activities, work, and internships and have references who strongly advocate for them.”
This year KyCPA extended scholarships to include students attending institutions in states bordering Kentucky.
“We recognized there are many bright, well-rounded future CPAs who go to neighboring-state colleges and universities and come to Kentucky for their professional career,” Badeau said. “We didn’t want to miss an opportunity to recognize them.”
For Christy Burge, lecturer of accounting, students should take the recognition to heart.
“Our students from IU Southeast should be proud of being awarded the KyCPA scholarships due to the competitive field of applicants,” Burge said.
A longtime member of KyCPA, Burge serves on the organization’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Educators Conference Committee, and successfully negotiated for the inclusion of IU Southeast in the scholarship program. At IU Southeast, she teaches financial accounting, accounting information systems, and auditing & assurance services, while leveraging her relationships with local employers such as General Electric and Louisville Gas and Electric to secure more challenging internships for students.
With 300- and 400-level classes focused on the CPA exam, an emphasis on in-demand skills, internships with local employers and opportunities to meet professionals who serve as mentors, the IU Southeast accounting program prepares students to achieve the highest level of certification, according to Burge.
“IU Southeast’s accounting program is focused on preparing students for the CPA and other certified exams by being current in the areas of information systems and data analytics which is attractive to employers in the Kentuckiana area,” Burge said.