The Ohio Society of Certified Public Accounting (CPA) introduced over 100 area high school students to the department Friday.

Accounting department chair Linda Zucca said accounting professors spoke with students about their future plans and goals. She also said professors gave students advice on the department to further their interest in accounting.

“One of our main goals is to persuade students into coming here,” Zucca said. “Once we do, it is all about showing them why accounting is the right major for them.”

Zucca also said students broke into groups and received tours of the campus. Zucca credited Student Initiatives and Fundraising Coordinator for The Ohio Society of CPA’s, Jerad Wood for the success of the event, and without him it wouldn’t have been possible.

Wood said The Ohio Society of CPA’s has these events to help get students interested in the accounting profession or to build on the interest students already have. Wood said he believes accountants have the wrong reputation, and events such as this one are put together to change the way people think of accounting.

“One of our main goals is to debunk the stereotype of accountants sitting in a cubicle crunching numbers all day,” Wood said. “It is writing, customer service and building relationships.”

Wood said accounts are in high demand right now and it can be a lucrative profession for those willing to put in the work. Wood said high school accounting career days are meant to inform and show all the great things the accounting field has to offer.

While Zucca gave credit to Wood for the success of the event, Wood gave a majority of the credit to Zucca and student ambassador Bryan Haas for the role he played in the planning process.

“Linda Zucca and Bryan Haas deserve the majority of the credit for the planning process,” Wood said. “We are proud to partner with Kent State University to put together a great program for local high school students.”

Haas said he was in charge of orchestrating all of the moving parts of the event such as volunteers and different group activities throughout the day. He also said he acted as an emissary between the parties of Wood and Dr. Zucca. Haas said he believes the event was important because it gave high school students the opportunity to learn about their lives after high school; for instance, what they will experience in college and the importance of performance in college to land a job.

“The event was a really unique experience for high school students to hear several professors speak about their journey to get to where they are today,” Haas said. “Any high school student who can use information to better themselves will have a head start, compared to others who have never had the experience.”

Two possible multimedia ideas would have been to record the event, which took place in room 200 of the College of Business Administration building, and reporting on the event itself and have a sit-down interview with Dr. Zucca. Both of these ideas could have been achieved by contacting Dr. Zucca.

Contact Terrell Johnson at [email protected].