Massachusetts High School Students Explore Accounting Careers at MassCPAs Summer Program

The Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MassCPAs) recently partnered with Suffolk University to host two cohorts of the Accounting Careers Exploratory (ACE) Leadership Program for 26 high school students across the state. These free, specialized programs ran from July 17-21 and July 24-28 at Suffolk University.

ACE students spent the week learning about accounting careers and other business-related professions. Highlights included:

Week-long case study competition led by staff members from BDO USA, LLP, Floyd Advisory LLC, Grant Thornton LLP and Wolf & Company, P.C, as well as Andrew Azer, CPA, senior manager at CohnReznick LLP, and Suffolk University’s Mengyao Cheng, assistant professor of accounting and business law, John Driscoll, instructor of accounting and taxation, Jason Peterson, chair and associate professor of the accounting and business law department, and Tracey Riley, PhD, CPA, associate dean of online education and learning assessment with a focus on entrepreneurship
Creating vision boards
Presentations on the dos and don’ts of interviewing followed by mock interviews
Networking with staff members from accounting firms that also sponsored the events, including Baker Newman Noyes (BNN), BDO USA, LLP, Deloitte LLP, Floyd Advisory LLC, Grant Thornton LLP, LGA, LLP and Wolf & Company, P.C.
$100 Macy’s gift cards donated by Macy’s for each student to purchase professional outfits, with the help of stylists
A tour of Fenway Park and presentation from Timothy Zue, executive vice president and CFO of the Boston Red Sox

The program concluded with students presenting their case studies to judges from BDO USA, LLP, Deloitte, LLP, Floyd Advisory LLC, Grant Thornton LLP, MassCPAs, Suffolk University and a past participant of the ACE program. Case study winners each received a $100 Visa gift card and MassCPAs swag. The winners were:

Pranav Abburi, Chelmsford High School
Aleksa Boteo, Notre Dame Cristo Rey
Wellesley Da Silva, Brockton High School
Amy Harden, Reading Memorial High School
Diana Heung, Lowell High School
Abigail MacNeil, Peabody Veterans Memorial High School
Brianna Reyes Cruz, Excel Academy Charter High School

All 26 students also received a certificate for completing the program.

“MassCPAs has an established legacy of championing aspiring accounting students. Our ACE program serves as a comprehensive gateway for students to deeply explore the countless opportunities within the accounting profession,” said Amy Pitter, president and CEO of MassCPAs. “With a dedicated commitment to enhancing diversity in the accounting industry, we are confident that these cohorts of ACE participants will make significant strides in their educational and professional journeys. The accomplishments of our ACE students fill us with pride, and we eagerly anticipate their continued growth and success within the profession!”

ACE is one way MassCPAs is working to diversify and grow the accounting pipeline in Massachusetts, by raising awareness of various career paths among students as early as high school. MassCPAs engages with these students throughout the year, offering resources, events, programs, scholarships, conferences and free memberships to help increase the talent pool and ensure a strong accounting pipeline in Massachusetts.

“I truly valued my time at ACE and appreciate the professionals who guided me through the world of accounting,” said Pranav Abburi, a junior at Chelmsford High School. “Not only did I make wonderful new friends, but I also formed important connections. I am confident that the skills I have learned from this program will serve an important role in my future!”

To view all the photos from the program, visit masscpas.org/ace23photos.