TheDebitsandCredits
BetaAlphaPsiandSocietyofAccountingStudentsMonthlyNewsletter
Issue #6. Vol #2. May 2023
MeetYour2023-2024BAP&SASOfficers!
By: Kaleigh TimmonsForthe2023-2024academicyear,BAPandSASwillhavefournewofficersjoiningtheexecutive board,inadditiontoonereturningofficer.
KaleighTimmons,President
Kaleigh Timmons is a rising Senior Accounting and Philosophy double major with minors in Forensic Accounting and Business Leadership from Bergenfield,NJ.SheisintheBusinessHonorsProgram,the BusinessLeadershipHonorsProgram,andtheSpecialJesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program. Kaleigh previously served as the 2022-2023 BAP and SAS Social Engagement Director. She is also a member of ACFE, Omega Beta Sigma, Performance Music, Art Club, and a Tour Guide and CoDirector of Admissions on campus. She has previous audit internshipexperiencewithCullariCarrico,LLC,andwillbe working as an audit intern for PwC this upcoming summer. Outside of school, she enjoys visiting local cafés and coffee shops with her friends. She also loves to listen to Taylor Swift. During her second year on the board, she is looking forward to working alongside the incoming BAP and SAS officers to plan and coordinate events for the organizations to lead Nu Kappachaptertoasuperiorstatusfortheupcomingschoolyear.
MadelynRonan,VicePresident
Maddy is a rising Senior Accounting and Finance double major with a minor in Business LeadershipfromCherryHill,NJ.SheisintheBusinessHonors ProgramandtheBusinessLeadershipHonorsProgram.Sheis a student officer forthe Institute ofManagement Accountants (IMA) Student Chapter, Portfolio Manager for PRISM, and member of Kania Women in Business, Colleges Against Cancer, Alpha Sigma Nu, and Omega Beta Sigma. She also was a competitive Irish dancer for 12 years. Maddy will be interning at Deloitte in audit this upcoming summer. As an incomingBAPandSASofficer,sheintendstobringapositive attitude and fresh perspective for the academic year! She is excitedtoworkwithherfellowofficersandclubmembers.
JohnSheehan,Treasurer
JohnisarisingSeniorAccountingmajorwithminorsinFinanceand BusinessLeadershipfromDumont,NJ.HeisintheBusinessHonors Program and the Business Leadership Honors Program. In addition toBAPandSAS,heisaGrowthAnalyst forPRISMandatutor.He has previous internship experience in Private Equity at Crystal Park GroupandFSOFAASatEY,whereherecentlyacceptedafull-time offer forpost-graduation.Outsideofschool,helikestowatchsports (heisaHUGENewYorkGiantsfan),workout,andspendtimewith his friends. During his tenure, he intends to be a hard-working and dedicated board member who cares about the overall cause of BAP andSAS.Heplanstoseektomakeimprovementswherehecanwhile maintainingwhathasmadetheorganizationssuccessfulinthepast.
NinaFigetakis,Secretary
Nina is a rising Senior Accounting major with a minor in Forensic Accounting from Little Neck, NY. She is also in the Business Honors Program. She is the Treasurer of Colleges Against Cancer, and a member of KWIB, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Student Chapter, United Cultures Organization (UCO), and intramural volleyball. She has previous work experience as a Business Analyst for Highway Safety Protection Corp. This summer, she will be interninginauditatWiss &Company,LLP.AsSecretary,she intends to use her organizational skills to better track member attendance and engagement, as well as be involved with differentideastobettertheclubs.
BriannaKerrane,SocialEngagementDirector
BriisarisingSeniorAccountingmajorwithminorsinBusiness Analyticsand BusinessLeadership fromNewHydePark,NY. She is in the Business Leadership Honors Program. She is a member of KWIB and Omega Beta Sigma, and serves as a Tutor on campus. She previously interned with MWSK Equipment, and has upcoming internships with both EY and GrassiAdvisorsandAccountants.Outsideofschoolsheenjoys Orange Theory and Bar Method, and loves spending her summers at the beach. As an officer, she wants to work with theotherboardmemberstohelpbetterprepareKSOMstudents fortheirinternshipsandcareersaftercollege.Shebelievesthat our BAP and SAS members can all learn a lot by discussing andhearingaboutothers’experiences.
RyanHanley,JuniorOfficer
Ryan is a rising Sophomore Accounting and Finance double major from Dumont, NJ. He is also in the Business Leadership Honors Program. In addition to SAS, he is an incoming IMA officer and an Analyst for PRISM. He also is a Student Officer for the University of Scranton Police Department and a Staff Writerfor theAquinas. Outsideofschool,heenjoysgolfingand baseball card collecting, and is a volunteer firefighter in his hometown.HisgoalastheincomingJuniorOfficeristoincrease younger student involvement in the club by introducing a fresh perspectiveandcreativeideas.
AlumniSpotlight:KayleeBurns
By: Aidan Cagner
Kaylee Burns graduated from Scranton in 2018 with her bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Philosophy. She is currently a Manager in EY’s Consulting practice with a focus on the banking and regulatory fields. Throughout her time at Scranton, she was heavily involved on campus, especially as an intern with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). In this role, she gainedvaluableandrewardingexperienceadvisingsmallbusinessesintheScrantonarea.
In summer 2017, Kaylee completed an audit internship at EY in NYC in Banking and CapitalMarkets. At the end ofher internship, she accepted a full-time audit position for post-graduation, starting infall2018.Whileshegreatlyenjoyedhertimeinaudit,shedecided in fall 2020 to make a career shift and transferred to EY’s Strategy and Transformation Consulting practice. At the beginning of this year,shewaspromotedtoManager.
DuringhertimeatEY,Kayleehasbeenveryinvolvedincultivating firm culture and supporting the next generation workforce. She is actively involved with EY’sProfessional Women’s Network, and is a Program Director for EY’s College MAP (Mentoring for Access and Persistence) Program. CollegeMAPisEY’ssignatureyouthmentorshipprogramwhich centersonmentoring,coaching, and educational programs focused on supporting the next generation workforce. Through this program, the firm partners with local high schools, pairing students with EY professionals to mentor them for two consecutive years through the college application process, arming them with the tools and confidence to apply to and succeed in college. After completing the program, each student receives a scholarship and a laptop to use forcollege.
Since graduation, Kaylee has continued to be engaged on Scranton’s campus as an EY alumni representative. She regularly participates in the Career Expo and on alumni panels for various campusclubs,bringinginsightandexperiencestoourstudents.Anyoneinterestedinlearningmore aboutcareersatEYandconnectingwithKayleeshouldreachouttoheronLinkedIn.
MeettheFirms:GrantThorntonLLP
By: Brett McCartney
Initially launched in 1924, Grant Thornton LLP is currently the sixth largest accounting and advisoryorganizationintheUnitedStates.Grant Thornton offers a variety of client services, includingassurance,tax, andadvisory. The firm employs more than 68,000 people in over 750 officesin147differentmarketsworldwide.Firm offices most local to Scranton include Philadelphia,PA;Iselin,NJ(MetroPark);Melville,NY;andNYC.
Grant Thornton places a heavy emphasis on setting a positive culture for the workplace, and this includespromotingahealthyworkingenvironment.Employeesareencouragedtobethemselves, contributeideastotheirteams,andtreatotheremployeeswithrespectandfairness.GrantThornton takesgreat pride insixvaluesembeddedin its firmculture:collaboration, leadership, excellence, agility, respect, and responsibility. At Grant Thornton, they have one shared vision across all branches,whichisevidentintheirquote,“Asadynamic,forward-thinkingorganization,wehave a clear and compelling vision of our future and strive to find the right people to help us achieve this.”Thisapproachhasyieldedsuccessfulresultsovertheyears,withthefirmearningnumerous honorssuchas2014“EmployeroftheYear”bytheInternationalAccountingBulletinandranking inthe“100BestCompanies”byWorkingMotherfor14consecutiveyears.
GrantThorntonhasavarietyofprogramsandinternshipopportunitiesforcollegestudents.
Empower Program:Avirtualstudentgrowthprogramopentofreshmenandsophomoreson afive-yeartrackpursuingdegreesinaccounting,informationsystems,ordataanalytics,who self-identify as a member of a traditionally underrepresented population. This program allows students to meet and learn from firm representatives, participate in professional development,leadership,andmentorshipsessions,andnetworkwithpeersnationwide.
Sophomore Rotation Experience:This programis opento collegesophomoresor juniorson a five-year track pursuing degrees in accounting, information systems, or data analytics, interested in professional services, but unsure of the service line best for them. This experience allows the flexibility to explore Audit, Tax, and Advisory or Internal Client Services without committing to a specific path. Participants gain exposure to client service engagements in varying industries/groups, network with peers, mentors, and other professionals,andparticipateinteambuildingandleadershipexercisesandsocials.
Summer Leadership Program: This program is open to college sophomores and juniors pursuingdegreesinaccounting,informationsystems,ordata analytics,and thosewhohave participated in past summer leadership programs or internships. This program allows students to participate in a 1–3-day interactivesession at alocal or regional office allowing themtogainexposuretothefirm’sservicelines,interactwithfirmteammembersandpeers, anddevelopimportantleadershipskills.
Internships: Internships allow students to gain world skills and experiences tailored to their desiredserviceline.GrantThorntonprovidesamulti-levelcoachingstructurewithbuddies, coaches, and mentors. Interns also participate in social events, leadership development sessions,andcommunityserviceprojectsthatbuildfriendshipsandexpandtheirprofessional
network. Internships in Audit, Tax and Advisory are open to students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Winter (January – March/April), Summer (June – July/August), or Fall (September–November/December)internshipsareavailablenationwide.
BAPandSASalumnicurrentlyworkingatGrant Thorntoninclude:
HannahGraff,CPA,FormerBAP/SASSecretary(’20)–AuditAssociate,NYC
BrigidLimerick(’20)–AuditAssociate,Miami,FL
AnthonyPagano(’19)–DiligenceSeniorAssociate,Melville,NY
Overall, Grant Thornton is an incredible place to work as they supplement their success in the business world with a terrific employee working environment. For more information on career opportunities at Grant Thornton, please reach out to the Center for Career development or visit: https://www.grantthornton.com/careers.
BAP&SASMembersWinMVPAwards
By: Kevin DuffyBAPandSASareproudtoannouncetherecipientsoftheir2022-2023MVPAwards:AshleyZaita (BAP) and Marilena Kumbios (SAS). These awards are presented to the top participating BAP memberand SAS memberbased on their continued, extraordinary involvement in BAP andSAS professional,communityservice,andfundraisingactivities.
From Mahwah, NJ, Ashely will be graduating with her bachelor’sinAccountinginDecember2023andherMAccin December 2024. She is also in the University Honors Program.InadditiontohermembershipinBAPandSAS,she is an officer for both the ACFE and Omega Beta Sigma, and an intramural volleyball player. Planning to pursue her CPA, Ashley’s favorite event this year was getting to hear from UWorld Roger CPA representative Bob Gayhart about registering for the CPA Exam. This summer, Ashley will be completingataxinternshipwithDeloitteinNYC.
"BAP is a great way to get exposure to the many aspects of theaccountingworld.Itprovidesanopportunitytolisteninon greatalumnispeakersandindustryprofessionals."
Marilena is a senior Forensic Accounting major from Staten Island, NY. In addition to her involvement with SAS, she is also the outgoing President of Urban Beats Crew, and a member of ACFE and the Business Club. Her favorite event of the year was making Christmas cards for the senior citizens and veterans residing at the GinoJ.MerliVeterans’CenterinScranton.AftergraduationinMay 2023,sheplanstotravelEuropebeforestartingwork.
“Iloved all theopportunitieswewere able to experience with SAS, especially the community service activities, which hold a special place in my heart, along with making friends, and being able to networkwithalumniwhocametopresenttous!”
Both members were honored with Certificates of Achievement and gift cards at the Annual AccountingDinnerheldonApril27th. Congratulations,AshleyandMarilena!
Want to be a contender for this coveted award for the 2023-2024 academic year? Make sure to meet and exceed the minimum annual requirements for membership! If you have any questions regarding BAP or SAS membership requirements, please contact Dr. Amanda Marcy, Faculty Advisor,orNinaFigetakis,incomingSecretary.
FortheLoveofReading
By: Kaleigh Timmons
BAP and SAS held its 3rd annual children’s book drive April 17th-26th benefitting the Catherine McAuley Center’s Little Free Library Program, which provides 24/7 access to books and encourages a love of reading in areas wherebooks are scarce. We hold this event annually in support of BAP’s “Donation of 100 Books to Support Literacy” campaign to promote literacy in our local communities.The past two years,wehavebeenabletomeet and well exceed our 100-book goal. We arehappy to announce wehaveonceagainexceededourgoalthisyearwith139totaldonated books!
This year’s drive culminated with a Bookmark Making Party on April 26th where our members and the members of the Art Club joined forces to hand craft bookmarks to go inside each of the donated books. Thank you to everyone who donated to and/or participated in our event this year!
The Catherine McAuley Center provides housing and support programs to women and children experiencing homelessness in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties in PA. They also provide services for women who have been recently incarcerated, chronically homeless adults, and families with mental health and other disabilities. Theirwiderangeofprogramsincludeshort,medium,andlong-termhousingassistance;education; counseling; life skills; and access to employment and training opportunities. They also operate a small community pantry, holiday gift programs, Adopt-A-Family program, Little Free Library program, and Period Project program. All services are provided freeofcharge.
AccountingKnowledgeIsPower
By: Kevin Duffy“FedOfficialSignalsSupportforFurtherRateIncreases”
by Nick TimiraosThe federal reserve announced that central bank should be prepared to increase interest rates as inflation remains high (4.9% in April) and the labor market tight (unemployment rate of 3.4% in April).Thiswillcreatesignificantimplicationsforbankingsupervisorsandregulators.
Read more at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-official-signals-support-for-further-rateincreases-912338cf?mod=economy_lead_pos2
“PCAOBEnhancesTransparencyofInspectionReports”
By: Kevin BrewerThe PCAOB has intensified its inspection with a new section on auditor independence and other changes that are designed to “increase transparency by making publicly available more informationthatisrelevant,reliable,andusefulforinvestorsandotherstakeholders.”
Read more at: https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2023/may/pcaob-enhancestransparency-inspection-reports.html
“WehadChatGPTtaketheCPAexam—anditfailed”
By: Chris GaetanoCatGPT, the AI chatbot that has taken the world by storm, was tested with the CPA exam as an experiment and failed utterly in all four sections: REG, 39%; AUD, 46%; FAR, 35%; and BEC, 48%.
Read more at: https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/we-ran-the-cpa-exam-through-chatgptand-it-failed-miserably
TimetoCelebrate!
By: Dr. Amanda Marcy, CPAOnApril27th,theAccountingDepartmenthelditsAnnualAccountingCelebration,sponsored by Baker Tilly, in the Brennan Hall Rose Room. The event featured Dr. Dana R. Hermanson, Dinos Eminent Scholar Chair of Private Enterprise and Professor of Accounting at Kennesaw State University,asthekeynotespeaker,whoprovidedthestudentswith advicefor career and life success. Dr. Marcywelcomed everyone to the event for the evening, and Ms. Rose Jacklinski, Career Relations Manager from the Center for Career Development, provided the invocation. Drs. Doug Boyle and Marcy highlighted the achievements of the Accounting program, faculty, students, and alumni over the course of the year and presented the AccountingDepartment HonoraryAwards:
Brian W. Carpenter Research Award:Dr.DanaHermanson,KSU
Daniel P. Mahoney Mentoring Award:BrittanyMoyer(’16),Deloitte
John P. McLean Leadership Award:KristynHowell(’08),BakerTilly
Michael O. Mensah Service Award:BillLewis(’82),Guidehouse&PwC(retired)
Douglas M. Boyle DBA Outstanding Research Awards:
o Dr.AmandaMarcy(’10,G’11,DBA‘20),UniversityofScranton
o Dr.PatrickO’Brien(‘20),SUNYOldWestbury
o Dr.RonaldParker(‘20),WesternCarolinaUniversity
Accounting Department Professional Alumni Council: ChristopherWestphal(’04),IRS Dr.MarcypresentedgraduatingBAPsenior,AnnalisaMechanick,withthe Sophie V. West Service Award, namedinhonorofthelateSophieWest (’17), acknowledging her dedication to academic excellence, commitment to service, and her love for adventure. Dr. Marcy also presented the BAP and SAS MVP Awards to the top participating BAP member and SAS member based on their continued, extraordinary involvement in BAP and SAS professional, community service, and fundraising activities: Ashley Zaita (BAP) and Marilena Kumbios(SAS).
Additionally, Dr. Marcy, BAP and SAS Faculty Advisor, inducted 14 new BAP members, honored 15 graduating seniors and three outgoing officers, and installed the 20232024 officers. Furthermore, Prof. Stampone, IMA Faculty Advisor,recognizedtheoutgoingIMAofficers,andinstalled the 2023-2024 officers. She also recognized the 2023 CMA Scholarship recipients: Sarah Boyle, Rizwan Kha, Hirali
Patel, and William Wooten. Finally, Prof. O’Hara, ACFE Faculty Advisor, recognized the 20222023ACFEofficersforawonderfulyear.
Prof. Stampone closed the event by thanking everyone for coming, acknowledging those who helpedcoordinatetheevent,andthecongratulatingeveryoneontheiraccomplishments.
Beta Alpha Psi Nu Kappa Chapter and Society of Accounting Students Officers
2022-2023
AidanCagner, President
BrettMcCartney, Vice President & Treasurer
KevinDuffy, Secretary
KaleighTimmons, Social Engagement Dir
2023-2024
KaleighTimmons, President
MadelynRonan, Vice President
NinaFigetakis, Secretary
JohnSheehan, Treasurer
BriannaKerrane, Social Engagement Dir
RyanHanley, Junior Officer
Institute of Management Accountants Student Chapter Officers
2022-2023
EmmaBoyle, President & Outreach
AidanCagner, IMA Submission
CharlesCsaszar, Secretary
AnnalisaMechanick, Treasurer/Social Media
BrettMcCartney, Fundraising & Service
MadelynRonan, Advertising
2023-2024
SarahBoyle, President & Outreach
RyanHanley,Documentation
BrettMcCartney,Secretary
AnnalisaMechanick, Treasurer/Social Media
AndreaNavarro, Fundraising & Service
MadelynRonan, Advertising
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Student Chapter Officers
2022-2023
BrettMcCartney, President
AshleyZaita, Vice President
EmmaFitzPatrick, Secretary
SophieMajewski, Treasurer
