Students learn flexibility, success that comes with accounting

By Jessica Salerno-Shumaker, OSCPA senior content manager 

At a recent Accounting Career Day held by the Ohio CPA Foundation, high school students learned that accounting is an opportunity profession.  

“There is so much in business that depends on accounting,” said Sean Hutton, CPA, an assurance partner with the Tidwell Group.  

Accounting Career Days are half-day events from the Ohio CPA Foundation that bring local high school students together on a college campus to learn about the accounting major and CPA careers. Local CPAs serve as speakers and share insights into the profession and explain the variety of career paths available.  

In April, local Central Ohio high school students gathered at Columbus State Community College to ask questions and hear insights from accounting professionals.  

Libby Cullins, CPA, MBA, executive director and business manager of Consumer and Community Bank (CCB) and firmwide wholesale operations talent acquisition at JPMorgan Chase, spoke at the beginning of the day. She shared her personal story with students and dispelled some of the myths about the profession.  

Hutton spoke with other young professionals on a panel and covered areas such as work-life integration, transferable skills and what classes to take in college.  

Ryan Trainor, CPA, from Cardinal Health offered a perspective on working in corporate, and shared with students the flexibility CPAs have in choosing their roles because of their expertise.  

“Accountants transfer well to other areas of business,” Trainor said.  

The day ended hearing from Aunique Blackwell, a Columbus State student and Ohio CPA Foundation ambassador, and Melissa D’Aurora, an assistant professor in the accounting department at Columbus State. D’Aurora spoke to the idea that some students might feel intimidated by accounting or think they aren’t smart enough to do well.  

“Everyone can do this, everyone can learn,” Melissa says. “Everyone can find their own way. It’s normal to get nervous and everyone has anxiety, but everybody can do this.” 

Find out more about the programs the Ohio CPA Foundation offers and the difference they’re making for the profession!