CPA

Two first-generation college students explain their goal of becoming CPAs and the role CalCPA plays in supporting their journey .

BY CHARLES OSAKI , CPA

The article “ Pathway to Success ” in the June 2023 issue of California CPA describes a year-long program of the same name managed by the CalCPA Los Angeles Chapter that provides workshops , guest speakers and mentoring to develop professional communication and job-related and career planning skills to first-generation college students majoring in accounting , business or economics at Cerritos College , Santa Monica College and East Los Angeles College . The program will expand to four colleges in January with the addition of Mt . San Antonio College .

In this article , two students share how they went from uncertainty about their futures to aiming to become accounting professionals and CPAs . One student is Brian Givens , a student at Cerritos College preparing for transfer to a four-year university . The other student is a former member of the Pathway program , Lucy Cruz , a senior , majoring in accounting at Cal State Northridge .

Q : What were your immediate plans after graduating from high school and what influenced your decision ?

Lucy : Since my three sisters are college graduates , I felt pressure to attend a four-year university right after high school , but I was hesitant because I had no idea about which major or career path to pursue . They said that adjustment was challenging and the time flies by , which made me nervous about taking that next step . I felt attending a community college was the best choice for me financially and for figuring out what my academic interests were .

Brian : Because I was an elite high school basketball player , athletics was going to be my path to a college education , but an injury closed that opportunity . I was a good student and my closest friends were applying to universities , so it was a logical decision to do the same . I enrolled at Cal State Fullerton , but I was unprepared for the transition to a four-year university

Cerritos College student Brian Givens and Cal State Northridge student Lucy Cruz .

22 CALIFORNIA CPA DECEMBER 2023 www . calcpa . org