ACAP Grantees Gear Up for Summer Programs - 2019 Spring Spectrum Magazine

NABA NEXT ACAP Grantees Gear Up FOR SUMMER PROGRAMS By Elaine W. Smith (Left) David Cannon (Top) Donald McWilliams Grand Valley State University (Michigan), (Bottom) Synetra Hughes Jackson State University (Mississippi), and the University of Arkansas are the 2019 At Jackson State University, Donald McWilliams, CPA, CFE, recipients of ACAP grants under NABA’s says the theme of his program is “Exploring the World ACAP National Grant for University-Based of Possibilities.” This will be the second year for ACAP Programs. This national program, launched at Jackson State under the university-based program. last year, provides funding from the AICPA McWilliams said that the program will include college Foundation to colleges and universities prep (strategies for taking the SAT, applying to universities, with accredited accounting and finance applying for scholarships) and technical sessions, including programs. The goal of ACAP is to increase a session on the role of data analytics in accounting and the pipeline of minority students who enter a session on Excel. Students will take a tour of the Nissan the accounting profession. manufacturing plant where they will learn about the role accountants play in the manufacturing process. A large David Cannon, CPA, CIA, CISA, PhD, director of the Western regional CPA firm will host students for an “Elevator Pitch” Michigan ACAP to be held at Grand Valley State University, presentation and office visit. In addition, McWilliams said said that before he applied for the ACAP grant, he visited ACAP will have the “usual enrichment activities,” such as Ohio State University to learn more about ACAP and an etiquette banquet and career counseling (including “decided that it was something we needed to do here.” He resume writing). said that his school’s accounting advisory board for years McWilliams expects 20 students from across the state of has sought to increase diversity of the student body. “The Mississippi to participate. “We have a lot lined up for our ACAP program is the perfect vehicle for doing this.” program and we’re looking forward to an exciting time,” he said. Cannon says he hopes to attract 25-30 students from The University of Arkansas received a partial grant for Western Michigan who are “economically disadvantaged,” ACAP in 2018, and will be implementing ACAP for the as his school is barred from recruiting minority students. second time under the university-based program. “There is a huge correlation between schools that Synetra Hughes, PhD, program director, said what will have a large population qualified for free lunch and the be different this year is the addition of a retention population that we’re trying to target,” Cannon said. “The component. “We’re looking at including some ACT fact for this target population is that their only exposure to professionals is doctors, health professionals, teachers and lawyers. They don’t know of the other professions or don’t feel as though they are accessible to them.” Cannon continued, “This is a program that literally can make a difference in somebody’s life. Even before the program, we’ve had students who have come from some very dire backgrounds and they now have master’s degrees and are working for Big 4 accounting firms. With ACAP, there’s an opportunity to increase that.” 36 SPECTRUM | SPRING 2019

NABA NEXT and SAT training, helping students write resumes and Hughes explained that ACAP is not new to the University scholarship application essays, and connecting them with of Arkansas and that there was a long-standing program accounting professionals who live in their areas. up until about 2009, but funding got cut. “Even though We typically seek between 20 and 25 students, but this we took a break from ACAP, students who were exposed year we’re scaling it back to between 15 and 20 so that or their family members were able to spread the message we can have the connectivity with them throughout the of what ACAP did for them and we in turn got students school year,” she said. who were interested in majoring in accounting and who With respect to last year’s program, Hughes said the graduated. Students who were in my business camp and students really enjoyed it. “We actually had students did not really know what they wanted to do, got exposed graduating high school this May who are committed to to accounting through NABA. It is definitely creating a attending the University of Arkansas, so that speaks to pipeline for minority students here at the University of the quality of the program that we offer. We are engaging Arkansas,” she said. ▲ them with real professionals in the field who are teaching them about the career paths.” I believe IN CHECKS AND BALANCES What do you believe? We want to know. Because here, we have strong convictions too. Like believing that the health needs of our members should inspire the way we approach the numbers. Not the other way around. It’s a unique approach to doing business. And it’s just part of what has made Kaiser Permanente the nation’s largest nonprofit health care organization. Find out more about opportunities at Kaiser Permanente, and learn how you can put your beliefs to good work. Kaiser Permanente is the nation’s leading nonprofit integrated health plan and a recognized health advocate in the communities in which it resides. Here, our every action supports the well-being of the men, women, and children who turn to us for care—over 9 million of them in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington. We are seeking qualified Accounting Professionals for the following opportunities: ➞ ACCOUNTANTS ➞ FINANCIAL ANALYSTS/ ➞ AUDITORS CONSULTANTS ➞ DIRECTORS/SR. DIRECTORS ➞ EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ➞ FINANCE MANAGERS ➞ HEALTH DATA ANALYSTS For more information about career opportunities with Kaiser Permanente, visit us at the NABA conference booth #811 or visit our website for a complete list of available opportunities. jobs.kp.org SPRING 2019 | SPECTRUM 37 KAISER PERMANENTE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER/DISABILITY/VETERAN.