July 03, 2012
Over the past six years, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business and
the Foundation for Accounting Education of the New York State
Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) have partnered to
offer an invaluable learning experience to minority high school
juniors in the Queens area through their Career Opportunities in
the Accounting Profession (COAP) program.
“The COAP program here at St. John’s has been a great success,”
says Mark Ulrich, CPA, director of the Center for Accounting
Research and Technology and adjunct assistant professor at Tobin
College of Business. He is also the chair of the COAP St. John's
Advisory Board and president of the Queens/Brooklyn Chapter of the
NYSSCPA. “Through COAP, students get an edge in learning about the
tremendous opportunity in the accounting profession, succeeding in
college and developing their soft skills. We now have an
alumni base of over 150 students, many of which are already working
at big firms or are studying accounting at major
universities.”
This year’s St. John’s COAP program offered extraordinary
programming including a behind-the-scenes look at the accounting
profession through field trips (Broadridge, Goldman Sachs and
Deloitte) and guest speakers; one-on-one interactions with numerous
CPAs and professionals; a sneak preview of the college life
experience at a major metropolitan university; various soft-skill
seminars and workshops; and access to accounting faculty and
business school administrators in the Tobin College.
On campus workshops and seminars focused on accounting, college and
personal development. Students received a thorough
introduction to accounting and two Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) special agents discussed why the agency hires qualified
people with accounting backgrounds for both special agent and
analyst positions.
Other seminars and workshops included: a session about
writing professional e-mails and using e-mail to maintain one’s
professional network, a session all about college, college
expectations, and the CPA exam, an etiquette dinner, a “Dress for
Success” workshop, information on TCB’s accounting program
offerings and a presentation about financial aid.
The last day of the program included a lecture given by former New
York State Governor
David Paterson at the headquarters of the New York State
Society of CPAs on Park Avenue in Manhattan. Students also heard
from NYSSCPA President-Elect J. Michael Kirkland and NYSSCPA
Executive Director Joanne Barry.
The program concluded with a banquet celebration and keynote
address from speaker Nigel Franklyn, CPA, vice president of Morgan
Stanley’s Internal Audit Department CPA and NYSSCPA’s controller,
who discussed why students should take advantage of the opportunity
they were given.
Adrian Fitzsimons, chair of the Department of Accounting and
Taxation, adds, "Mark Ulrich has been a significant part of the
COAP program, going from being a student counselor to now serving
as the program’s director. We are grateful to our alumni such as
Robert Kalenka from Broadridge, and Antonio D’Angelo from Deloitte,
and, as well as, Sherry-Ann Mohan from Goldman Sachs, all of whom
sponsored the COAP students at their firms. We are also
grateful to alumna, Kristin Sulfaro from the New York State Society
of CPA, who stayed with the students throughout the program. We
look forward to their continued involvement in this very successful
program and the co-sponsorship by the New York Society of Certified
Public Accountants."
The Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP)
program provides a learning experience developed to expose
promising minority high school students to accounting and business
careers. Founded in 1987, COAP offers students a tailored
curriculum and extensive opportunities to interact with successful
minority role models and gain exposure to the corporate
environment.
If you would like information about The Peter J. Tobin College of
Business, contact Asia Hauter at (718) 990-6128 or hautera@stjohns.edu.