Past ETF Scholarship Winners:
Where are they now?
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Molly Burgess Accounting Leadership Scholarship Recipient, 2007 |
How has the scholarship helped you in your educational and/or professional endeavors?
Receiving the ETF scholarship helped me pay for my senior year of college at Eastern Connecticut State University. It looked great on my resume too! It enabled me to further my success at Eastern and graduate with a career in accounting.
Why do you think it’s important for people to support the CSCPA Educational Trust Fund?
It is very important for people to donate to this fund. This scholarship enables deserving students to continue their education and enter the professional world with something to offer.
Where are you now?
I graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Summa Cum Laude. I have taken two parts of the CPA Exam (FARE and Auditing) and have passed both, with good scores, too! I should be done with the exams by November if I pass the other two. I started working at Blum Shapiro in September as a member of the Accounting & Auditing staff.
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Christopher Ficocelli Candidate’s Award Recipient, 2006 and Leadership Scholarship Recipient, 2005 |
How have the scholarships helped you in your educational and/or professional endeavors?
Being the recipient of two CSCPA scholarships was an honor and sincerely appreciated. These scholarships assisted me in financing my college education in order to achieve my goal of becoming a CPA.
Why do you think it’s important for people to support the CSCPA Educational Trust Fund?
Since the cost of a college education is considerable, I would greatly encourage others to support the Educational Trust Fund (ETF) in order to afford students majoring in accounting an opportunity to further their education.
Where are you now?
I graduated in May 2006 from Quinnipiac University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree and received my Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation from the University of Hartford in May 2007. Currently, I am an associate in the tax department of PricewaterhouseCoopers
in Hartford and I passed the CPA Exam at the end of last year.
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Ephantus Kinyua Gitwe Community College Scholarship Recipient, 2004 and Accounting Leadership Scholarship Recipient, 2005 |
How have the scholarships helped you in your educational and/or professional endeavors?
I still feel honored. It’s one of best awards to have and to mention in resume. The scholarship of $5,000 helped me invest in excellence. I used $4,000 went to pay for tuition costs and the balance of $1000 helped with costs of registering for the CPA Exam and purchase of associated study materials.
Why do you think it’s important for people to support the CSCPA Educational Trust Fund?
It was part of the resources I required to help overcome (my) educational cost obstacle in order to develop my skills and leadership for today and in the future. It was part of my strong excellence foundation I have today which may yield benefits for the rest of my life. I think it is important to give to the scholarship fund because it helps people develop their potential skills and leadership.
Where are you now?
I began taking the CPA Exam on October 31.
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Nicola Anderson Candidate’s Award Recipient, 2006 and Minority CPA Exam Review Course Grant, 2007 |
How have the scholarships helped you in your educational and/or professional endeavors?
It was an honor for me to be awarded a scholarship by the Educational Trust Fund (ETF). Even more so, however, I was thankful. I was also awarded a CPA review course grant for minorities through the ETF. The scholarship didn’t just help me pay for college; it reminded me that I wasn’t the only one concerned about my professional growth and success.
The ETF team and sponsors care about, and believe in, the young promises of tomorrow. The scholarship has encouraged me to continue to aspire for success in my career. As such, I have utilized the review courses and I am currently sitting for the CPA exam and hope to get my CPA license in January of 2009.
Why do you think it’s important for people to supportthe CSCPA Educational Trust Fund?
I have seen and experienced firsthand the positive impact the ETF has had on myself and on others and would like to pass on to others the intangible gift of caring that I received. As a sponsor of the ETF you and I will be able to join the ETF in making a difference in the lives of our future professionals. Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” Do you agree? I do.
Where are you now?
With PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Hartford office, and currently sitting for the CPA Exam.
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Bridget Pearson Community College Scholarship Recipient, 2007 |
How has the scholarship helped you in your educational and/or professional endeavors?
The scholarship award from the Connecticut Community College program gave me a sense of accomplishment and encouraged me to continue on with my studies. As an older, non-traditional student, it made me feel more a part of the student community by recognizing my hard work and perseverance.
Why do you think it’s important for people to support the CSCPA Educational Trust Fund?
I believe it is very important to encourage students and the scholarship program is an excellent way to do this. It helps students financially and gives them the confidence to continue their education.
Where are you now?
I am currently doing an internship with the State of Connecticut Auditors of Public Accounts. It is six months, 40 hours per week, paid. I will be graduating with my Bachelor’s in Accounting in May 2009, and plan to sit for the CPA Exam during the year following graduation.
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Diana Teixeira Accounting Leadership Scholarship Recipient, 2006 |
How has the scholarship helped you in your educational and/or professional endeavors?
College, though well worth it, was a very stressful and demanding phase of my life. It was a true blessing to know that people were willing to help me through it. The CSCPA Scholarship relieved me of some of my burdens as a “starving” college student. Working fewer hours during those grueling times greatly contributed to my focus and provided me with the study time essential to succeed.
Why do you think it’s important for people to support the CSCPA Educational Trust Fund?
People don’t forget the times they were given a helping hand. As a past CSCPA scholarship recipient, as I continue on into my professional career I will ensure that where I am capable, I will not only give back to my professional community, but do so exponentially.
Where are you now?
Upon graduation I worked for a public accounting firm for two-and-one-half years while I obtained my master’s degree in taxation. In August I made the decision to start working in private accounting. I currently work for Yale-New Haven Hospital as a Tax Analyst and I’m also currently studying to sit for the CPA Exam.





