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 News & Information Links
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ILLINOIS CPA SOCIETY EXCEL AWARD WINNERS
APRIL 2003
| Seth Dailey - Silver Medalist
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 Seth holds both a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Theology from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He is currently employed with American Express Tax and Business Services in Chicago, Illinois.
Why Seth pursued a CPA can best be answered in his personality and his vision for the future: he found the pursuit to be extremely challenging; he wanted to speak the language of accounting; and he wanted to carve a path for himself in the business world, confident that the CPA designation was a great way to do just that.
Seth offers sage advice to anyone preparing for the CPA exam. "Study, study, study. Take the NIU Review and leverage its many resources to your benefit. Ask questions, email your professors, and work the questions again and again. Remember, these are truly top rate professors! While I certainly wouldn't ever advise anyone to tackle this exam without a degree in accounting (my situation), I would say that an individual can absorb A LOT in a very concentrated amount of time through this review course. My best advice would be—as Debra [Hopkins, NIU CPA Review Director] will often pound into your head—RESPECT the exam for what it is: Extremely difficult!"
Seth is also quick to stress the extreme importance of a good support system. "I haven't met anybody who felt they passed this exam 'all by themselves.' I certainly didn't. I have tremendous gratitude for the staff of the NIU Review, the accounting professors at the College of DuPage, and—far and beyond anyone else—my lovely wife, Alyce. I have the best wife in the entire world, and I'm glad that this exam is over because it means I get to spend a bit more time with her!" Now that the exam is over, Seth is very much looking forward to catching up on a few good books, enjoying the outdoors, and traveling as much as possible. And, with an eye ever gazing toward the future, he adds, "Much to my wife's chagrin, I am thinking about graduate school!"
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| Cheryl Inzano - Silver Medalist
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 Cheryl received both a B.S. in Accountancy and a Master of Accounting Science from Northern Illinois University. As of April 1, 2003, she has been working at S. R. Snodgrass, where she is getting a big indoctrination into the fascinating world of governmental auditing.
For Cheryl, it only made sense to want to achieve the ultimate goal—CPA certification—after putting so much effort and hard work into gaining the academic credentials. The confidence her husband, Jack, daughter, Angela, and parents, Beverly and Richard Znidarsic, placed in her ability to achieve this goal provided Cheryl with the significant motivation she needed. After passing the exam and achieving the honor of a Silver Medal EXCEL Award, Cheryl was very excited that her parents were able to travel with her to the banquet in Chicago to share in the celebration.
When asked what tips she would give to someone preparing for the CPA exam, Cheryl enthusiastically lays out a precise, yet practical, blueprint. "Before you even begin to think about taking the exam," she stresses, "make sure you have the full support of family and/or friends. Then, realize you will be putting your life 'on hold' for five or six months and be willing to fully commit yourself--unless you are willing to accept not passing! Next," she continues, "take the [NIU] Review course! Not only does the course and each of the faculty help you focus attention on the areas for which you need to 'know a little bit about everything,' but you are also prepared for the non-technical aspects of the exam such as how to approach the exam questions, watching out for the 'bear traps,' and especially what to expect in the actual exam setting--all of which greatly reduces the anxiety level!”
One month before the CPA exam, Cheryl, Jack, and Angela moved to Ohio. The move was a return “home” after a 15-year absence and brings the family in close proximity to Cheryl's parents. "We are greatly enjoying being able to simply spend a lot of time with them!" Cheryl exclaims with sheer delight. The move also means a period of readjustment: for the family as a unit, to the new home; for Jack, to his recent retirement; for Cheryl, to the change from “academic mode” to employment mode”; and for Angela, to the ongoing trials and tribulations of being sixteen!
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| Eunjoo Lee - Gold Medalist
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 Eunjoo holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, and an M.S. in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently employed at Shepard, Schwartz & Harris, LLP (Chicago), where she began as an intern in February 2001 and became a full-time employee in October 2002.
In her quest to fulfill her career goals, Eunjoo wanted to switch from engineering to the accounting field so that she possessed the credentials to work in public accounting. Her recommendations for anyone preparing for the CPA exam are clear: "Take the NIU Review course! Prepare well the first time and do all the problems in the Wiley book."
Eunjoo has a wonderful husband, John, who has supported her throughout the study process. Carrying his support to the end, John was present at the banquet when Eunjoo received both her CPA certificate and Gold Medal EXCEL Award.
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