Student Education Night a Hit on Staten Island

By Rosemarie Barnickel, CPA

NYSSCPA Staten Island Chapter's Education Night, an annual event that invites sophomores, juniors, and seniors to meet chapter members and hear presentations from local CPAs, attracted close to 100 college students from local schools. Held this year on October 8, the event included representatives from St. John's University, the College of Staten Island, Wagner College, and Pace University.

Chaired by the chapter's representative on the Society's board of directors, Frank J. Aquilino, who also is accounting department chair at Montclair State University in New Jersey and has a CPA practice on Staten Island, the event featured a panel of CPAs who have pursued different careers in accounting. Walter Daszkowski spoke about his experience at a second-tier CPA firm before he moved to a local Staten Island firm and later opened his own practice. Thomas Anselmo discussed his background at a large public accounting firm and how he went on to receive a law degree. Dorothy Lawless gave students insight into her transition from public accounting to industry since she began at a Big Five CPA firm and later went to work at a public company that was a client of her former firm. In addition, CPA Candidate Frank T. Aquilino spoke about his career path as a bond trader, and how beneficial his background in accounting is in his day-to-day responsibilities.

The keynote speaker was Frank Fusaro, an active Society member who is president of his own employment agency, Forum Personnel. Fusaro gave a motivational speech on interviewing skills and steps students should take to advance after getting their first job.

The event ran late into the evening with many questions for the panel on diverse topics, ranging from salaries in the various accounting fields to getting jobs with the FBI. Education Night is one of the Staten Island Chapter's most well-attended meetings, and is always popular with accounting faculty and students at local schools. *