One asset whose value only appreciates

Accounting professor Julie Dawson wins Carthage's Distinguished Teaching Award

Yes, Julie Dawson has taught accounting at Carthage for almost 30 years, but another number provides a more meaningful measure of her career.

“I have kept up with at least 200 alumni,” says the assistant professor of accounting and finance. “I always want to know: How’s your career going? How’s your family? We have a sense of belonging to a close community, and that makes Carthage a unique place to teach.”

That’s become a defining advantage for the College: a faculty commitment to provide both academic rigor and individualized support along the path to a rewarding career.

“I always say I have the best job in the world, because I get to work with young adults who are so intellectually curious. I can have incredible conversations with them,” she says. “They work very hard, and they're incredibly kind; I root for all of them.”

The feeling is mutual. Backed by glowing recommendations from students and colleagues, Prof. Dawson won the 2022-23 Distinguished Teaching Award — Carthage’s highest faculty honor.

“She takes a specific interest in each of her students, and we can tell she genuinely loves each one of us,” one student wrote in support of her nomination.

Of course, in the not-so-touchy-feely business world, results are king.

When Accounting Today crunched the numbers in 2021, Carthage ranked in the top 6 percent nationwide for first-time success rate on the CPA exam. An industry group has withheld subsequent results during a transitional phase in the exam, but the College’s extremely high internship and job placement rate suggest it’s no fluke.

In August, Sierra Sonnemaker ’23 begins work on the tax staff of Plante Moran in Schaumburg, Illinois. The recent graduate calls Prof. Dawson “hands down” the most influential Carthage faculty member in her growth.

Competing on the Firebirds’ tennis team for four years alongside a demanding major tested Ms. Sonnemaker’s time management. Four classes with Prof. Dawson sharpened her specialized skills, with test questions modeled after the ones on the actual CPA exam.

Ms. Sonnemaker passed the first two parts of the licensing test even before graduating. Nationwide, there’s a roughly 50 percent success rate on each section.

“When you get to the exam, it’s already something you’ve seen before,” the young alumna says. “So it’s not too much of a surprise.”

For her part, Prof. Dawson brings plenty of applicable experience and connections. She started out as an auditor for Deloitte in Davenport, Iowa, and still consults for some local nonprofits to keep her knowledge current.

“Our students are among the strongest in the country,” says the popular professor, who joined the faculty full time in 1993. “They just need the opportunity to succeed, and it's my obligation to provide those opportunities to them.”

With her guidance, rising sophomore Isaak Gotberg ’26 of