Accounting students score healthy scholarships from educational foundation

Seven of Radford University's accounting students recently saw their studies pay some healthy gains: In November, each of them received scholarship awards that ranged from $2,000 to $5,000.

Altogether, their prizes totaled $23,500 and came courtesy of the RFC Educational Foundation, an initiative launched in 2000 by the accounting firm of Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates, PLLC.

All but one of the student winners are members of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), which is the international society for accounting, finance and information systems majors. BAP itself scored a $1,000 award, which will help cover the group's expenses as its members travel to upcoming conferences.

This year's winning students were:

• C. David Boothe, III (junior)
• Corey Daniel (junior)
• Sarah Gillespie (sophomore)
• James David Johnson (senior)
• Jason Cervantes Julca (sophomore)
• Nicolas Leon-Guzman (senior)
• Noah Joseph Serio (junior)

That total of seven marks a stark uptick from last year, when two students were recognized.

"Your grants ... represent a meaningful investment in the future of these seven students," Davis College of Business and Economics Dean Donna McCloskey told the foundation. "This support directly reduces the financial burden of their education while allowing them to remain focused on academic excellence, professional development and preparation for successful careers.

"The confidence and encouragement your generosity conveys cannot be overstated," McCloskey said.

RFC said the mission of its educational foundation is “to provide scholarship or grant funds for students of the professions, including accounting, law, medicine and engineering, and students who have an interest in a career in governmental service, public administration or public service in Virginia.”

The students' awards were recognized at the Jan. 21 meeting of Beta Alpha Psi, during which Assistant Professor of Accounting Rob Warren officially inducted finance major Jack Campbell into the society.

January's meeting also hosted a guest speaker, Audra Shekleton ’04, a Richmond, Virginia-based assurance partner with Ernst & Young. Shekleton, a frequent booster of the business college, spoke to the group for about an hour, walking them through her personal career path and professional experiences, and discussing such topics as current increases in accounting as a major, the effect technology is having on the field, and her advice to students – in short, to get out and network, specifically at conferences and summits.

"Go to these, go to all of them," Shekleton told the students. "They're going to help you understand what you want to do. They're going to help you make connections.

“You'll be surprised at who you meet now, and what they might be doing for you going forward."