The University of Toledo’s John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation, in collaboration with the Ohio CPA Foundation, cohosted the Careers in Professional Accounting Camp (CPA Camp) on June 20.
The daylong camp provided a comprehensive career development program tailored to more than 170 underrepresented high school students — including those who identify as having a disability, LGBTQ+ individuals, students of color and first-generation college attendees — with an interest in accounting.
Students including those who identify as having a disability, LGBTQ+ individuals, students of color and first-generation college attendees attended the daylong Careers in Professional Accounting Camp co-hosted by UToledo.
This group of students primarily consisted of individuals from Toledo’s Upward Bound and Toledo Excel programs.
Rebecca Hixen, director of Student and Young Professional Initiatives for the Ohio Society of CPAs, said the purpose of the CPA Camp was to introduce accounting to underrepresented high school students.
“Recognizing the limited exposure to this discipline among many of our attending students, our objective lies in improving the deficit of aspiring accountants,” she said.
“It is crucial that we reach students at the high school level — specifically underrepresented students, because the percentages of these individuals in the accounting field have not changed much over many years. We’re hoping to move the needle in terms of having more students in general, but also underrepresented students, interested in pursuing accounting as a career.”
Throughout the camp, students learned about the different career prospects in the accounting field, including job options and associated salaries.
Sessions featured networking opportunities with prominent local accounting firms such as Plante Moran, Ernst & Young and William Vaughan, providing valuable industry insights and establishing connections that could potentially lead to scholarships and future employment possibilities.
The program further educated attendees about the distinctions between corporate and public accounting, offering a comprehensive understanding of both sectors.
UToledo accounting associate professor, Dr. Karen Green, also facilitated a hands-on activity with the aspiring students utilizing paper airplanes to bring accounting principles to life and illustrate the interconnectedness of each business discipline and their relationship with accounting.
During his address, Lance Woodworth, president and CEO of Destination Toledo, shared city highlights and emphasized the abundance of robust opportunities available for young professionals in Toledo.
Additional event sponsors included Huntington, La-Z-Boy, Deloitte, Procter & Gamble, Clark Schaefer Hackett, the Accountancy Board of Ohio, Rehmann, GBQ, Ingram-White Castle Foundation, KPMG and RSM.
