Summer accounting program isn’t just crunching numbers

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo School of Management and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) are collaborating to introduce high school students to the real world of accounting.

The Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program, a mini summer camp, invites Western New York high school students (grades 9-12), especially ethnic minorities, to a two-day program on June 26 and 27 on UB’s North Campus.

“The goal of the program is for students to learn more about the accounting profession,” says Lorrie Metzger, clinical assistant professor of accounting and law in the UB School of Management. “It’s a great opportunity for students to see the scope of the field, beyond the stereotypical impression of an accountant.”

The program will feature a comprehensive series of breakout sessions, guest speakers, firm visits and activities that provide participants with insights into all the components of an accounting education and career, as well as free food and giveaways.

“I had the privilege of being in the program and learned that accounting is a broad profession with so much more than bookkeeping,” says Coren A. Mitchell, a former participant who went on to become a CPA and manager at the Bonadio Group. “COAP included workshops that helped me develop the mindset of a business professional before I even graduated high school, not to mention the value of the networking opportunities and lifelong friendships I built during the program.”

Interested students can apply to the free program at https://bit.ly/ubcoap23 by June 23. For more information, contact Diedrea White at dwhite@nysscpa.org.

Founded in 1897, the New York State Society of CPAs is the premier professional accounting association for approximately 21,000 licensed members residing and practicing in New York State, encompassing all areas of public practice, including government, education, technology, nonprofit, real estate, health care and industry. It is the oldest — and the third largest — such state society in the U.S.