Q&A: Naomi Allen, CPA Candidate and MICPA Scholarship Recipient
Naomi Allen, Client Accounting Services Intern at EHTC, sat down with us to talk about being selected for the MICPA's Richard Czarnecki Scholarship, her CPA journey, and her advice for fellow accounting students.
Q: To start, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about the scholarship you received?
A: My name is Naomi Allen, and I went to Grand Valley State University, where I'm currently getting my Master's in Accounting. I'm an intern for the Client Accounting Services Department at EHTC, and I am a CPA candidate.
I applied for the MICPA fifth-year scholarship. This is a scholarship aimed towards students who are pursuing their fifth or final year in their accounting program. So for me, that's my fifth-year master's degree program. It's for any students who show a lot of leadership and extracurriculars. Based on my previous experience at Grand Valley—I used to be an accounting tutor, and I was also the Director of Finance for one of our largest clubs in the business school, Women in Business—I thought I would make a really good candidate. It also would provide a free prep program for students who are seeking their CPA.
Q: I understand the MICPA gave you a special shout-out as well. Tell us about that.
A: Yeah! I saw that I was featured in the MICPA Connections magazine. I knew briefly that we would have a shout-out, but I kind of forgot about it until now. The scholarship results came out in early May, so seeing people at the office showing my face off in the magazine was really cool this week.
Q: Where are you at in the CPA exam process right now?
A: I just took the FAR section of the CPA exam about two weeks ago, and I actually find out if I passed tomorrow.* So, hopefully, I pass! But if not, that's okay. I started studying back in May, so it's still very early, but I'm hoping to crank it out as fast as possible. One down, hopefully.
*Naomi learned in the days following our interview that she passed FAR. One CPA section down!
Q: Tell me about your experience at EHTC. How has the firm, and Client Accounting Services in particular, supported you in this pursuit?
A: I started at EHTC back in early January of 2024 as a Client Accounting Services intern. That was initially a part-time internship while I was in school, and the firm was really great about being flexible with my schedule and then also helping me learn, being very supportive, but also pushing me to try to find answers on my own. During the summertime, it transitioned to more of a full-time role where I'm a lot more heavily involved with monthly prep for our clients. I also took some time off so I could focus on school, and I think that was a really big factor in helping me be a stronger scholarship candidate as well.
One example of how the firm is really supportive is that they do offer the Becker CPA program free to their employees. So, that’s been a huge help for me, just having the resources to be able to dedicate more time to studying for the CPA exam. My supervisors and my intern buddy have all been really supportive in helping me grow and answering questions. They're a really good resource, and they're also just there for me as a person. We're really big on working hard and playing hard, and I definitely feel that in the energy of the firm. It's not just something we say, we really live it out. That's something I experienced here at EHTC that I didn't quite find at other CPA firms, so I think it makes EHTC really stand out in terms of the supportiveness of their employees and continuing to help them grow and learn.
Q: What excites you about earning your CPA?
A: I would say there’s a few things. First, I'm actually not the first CPA in my family. The first CPA in my family is my grandma. She went back to school in her 30s after having three kids, took a lot of night classes, and put in a ton of hours to get her CPA license, so she's a really big inspiration. I would be really happy to do her proud.
And also, just having the CPA license does so much for you during your career. It's almost like our version of a union card. It shows that you have expertise and drive. It's a great credential to have, it shows your credibility, and it's really the gold standard for any accountant. I think that having that would help any accountant in their career; it showcases our versatility and our dedication to client service.
Q: What would you tell other accounting students who are considering getting their CPA?
A: My advice to students who are wondering if they should get their CPA license is: I would strongly consider it. There are a lot of benefits to it, and every single CPA will tell you it is so worth it. Start studying early if you can. Getting it done sooner in your career makes things much easier down the road, because it's difficult to juggle studying with full-time responsibilities. I would also say seek out a firm that will support you. A lot of CPA firms will offer prep programs for free for their employees, so I would strongly consider working in public accounting for those benefits if you're seeking your CPA license, because they are a huge help.
Scholarships can also be a really helpful resource. The MICPA scholarship I was awarded offers a CPA prep program for free to its recipients. And something that makes candidates really stand out to these committees is having a strong sense of commitment to your community, being involved in extracurriculars, things like that will really make you stand out. For example, I was the Director of Finance for Women in Business at Grand Valley State University for almost two years. I was also involved in a handful of other organizations: I was a Seidman mentor, and I previously worked as an accounting tutor. Trying out different things can really help you become a strong candidate who stands out.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to say about your CPA experience so far?
A: I just want to close off by saying a massive thank you again to the MICPA for selecting me as one of their recipients this year. Their help is really meaningful to me in helping me get my CPA license, finish out my last year of school strong, and alleviate a lot of the financial burden that comes with pursuing your CPA license.
Congratulations again to Naomi on this well-deserved recognition!
