This year marks my 6th scholarship season with the WSCPA and Washington CPA Foundation. I’ve been involved in the process from fall to summer, encouraging students to submit applications, working with the scholarship review team, interacting with students to obtain all the pieces needed to get their checks in the mail and ensuring students are recognized in spring accounting banquets, and of course, introducing them to their professional community at the WSCPA. I don’t do this alone, of course; members are involved in every step of this process from our Foundation board managing timelines and review processes, to volunteers promoting in classrooms and at their firms, volunteers reviewing scholarships, and firms and individuals generously contributing to support students.

It’s been incredibly rewarding to see these scholarship recipients whom we supported as college juniors or seniors, transition from student members to licensed CPAs and take roles in our chapters and committees, or be recognized for their work within their firms. Often these new professional members are ready to give back to this community and support the next generation of future CPAs. I am grateful for the amazing group of members who work so hard to create community within this profession.

Challenges During COVID-19
This year feels very different. I’m very aware of the changes and challenges affecting students navigating remote classes and new remote workplaces. I’ve heard from students who are struggling more than ever with remote learning, isolation and depression, as well as financial struggles. Some have family members who are no longer able to support tuition due to unemployment. Many students support themselves at least partially through school, and with many internships cut short this summer, students were left scrambling to save the funds they needed for fall semester. Some students sent thank you notes last summer that said without their Washington CPA Foundation scholarship, they expect they may have had to put school on hold and taken time away to support families or save up more money. Other students had to turn down their scholarship awards, as remote classes meant they would not be returning from out of state to attend school. As this year’s scholarship deadline (February 16) approaches, I am closely monitoring application numbers and see a startling spike in year-to-date application numbers, with more than double the number of applications compared to last year.

An Opportunity to Volunteer
Now is the time of year we typically are recruiting volunteer scholarship reviewers, and based on application numbers to date, we’ll need those reviewers more than ever to ensure we are able to efficiently and equitably award half a million dollars this year to aid students on their journey to CPA.

Sarah Whitaker, the Chair of Scholarship Committee and a Washington CPA Foundation Trustee said, “Serving as a scholarship reviewer has helped me feel connected to our next group of professionals. Each year I am impressed with the caliber of students who are preparing to enter the workforce. It also reminds me of the excitement I had when I was entering the profession. It’s a great way to give back and be reminded of why I was first interested in pursuing my accounting career.”

Our review season kicks off in mid-February and runs through late March, is completely virtual, and you can participate on your own time from your own device. Typically 60-70 volunteers serve on our review team, but this year we would like to see that increase substantially in anticipation of more applications. Typical time commitment is 15-20 hours during that period, but the more reviewers we have, the fewer hours required across the board. Will you consider joining our review team?

Monette Anderson is the WSCPA Director of Membership. For more information or to become a scholarship reviewer contact her at manderson@wscpa.org.

This article appears in the winter 2021 issue of the Washington CPA magazine. Read more here.