Straight from the source: Members are integral to high school outreach efforts - ReachOut - Brief Article

California CPA, Jan-Feb, 2002

Steven Galet

Steven Galet, a CPA with Thyssen Krupp Elevator in Commerce, suggests that the best way to keep high school students interested is to engage them in interactive situations and to use role models and examples from the business world to which they can relate. For instance, explain to students how as CPAs they could work for famous musicians or actors such as blink-182 Freddie Prinz Jr., Sarah Michelle Cellar, Shaggy or Destiny's Child.

During his classroom presentations at Covina High School, Galet showed the 15-minute "Takin' Care of Business" video, provided a short overview of various CPA careers and engaged students in a Q&A. He also challenged advanced classes with interactive journal entries for a fast food restaurant.

Among the benefits Galet notes for members who participate in the outreach program are improved communication and organizational skills for the presenter. And, he adds, "If our profession is to survive in the future and be dynamic, we must recruit the best and the brightest young people."

Guy M. Wong

Guy M. Wong, a Sacramento-based CPA heard the call and promptly answered. "I replied to my chapter president's e-mail looking for volunteers," says Wong. As a result, Wong connected with the Sacramento Adventist Academy, which was looking for a CPA to participate in its career day.

Wong participated in a well-oiled program that was quite structured and involved students rotating through his area and asking questions. "The most common question was how many years of college does becoming a CPA require," recalls Wong.

Wong encourages other members to join the outreach effort, "Many practitioners these days are having problems hiring good employees. Outreach programs such as this can help us attract as many good students as possible."

Daniel D. Morris

Daniel D. Morris, founder of the VeraSage Institute faced an amiable audience in accounting students at Foothill Junior College in Los Altos. He challenged students to describe his typical day and they came up with:

* Spending hours on the phone;

* Nice lunches;

* Meeting with customers;

* Meeting with and assisting other firm team members; and

* Being moody. ("Of course," says Morris, "I don't think I'm moody but others might disagree, so we left it on the list.")

"When working with students," posits Morris, "we have to walk the walk that what we do is fun, challenging, different and above all 'loved' by us personally. If you talk about GAAP/GAAS and technical items--forget it. That work isn't exciting and fun. Sure, you have to pay your dues to get where you want to be, but the emotional and monetary rewards can be very high."

To Morris, the outreach program is a case of reaping what you sow. "We can't complain about low student enrollment or lack of qualified candidates if we aren't willing to do something about it," he says. "Helping to mold, guide and influence a young person in an important life decision is invaluable--meeting billable hour quotas just doesn't compare.

David George

CalCPA Chair David George has been visiting high school classrooms for years and encourages all members to join the outreach effort. "It's satisfying to communicate to young people who are considering the wide range of possibilities before them in life," he says. "I've found that most young people have never even considered, nor have any idea about the diversity of services a CPA provides.

"I felt very satisfied walking away from my recent college presentation when a young lady came up to me and said that my presentation convinced her that she would pursue a CPA license because of the opportunities it could offer her career.

"Just that one contact with a student made my volunteer effort a success."

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Volunteer

If you would like to participate in CalCPA's student outreach program, contact Bill Spaniel, CalCPA public relations manager, at bill.spaniel@calcpa.org. Please provide your name, firm or business name and address, phone number, and the names of the schools you will contact. If you don't have a school in mind but still would like to participate, let us know that too.