Accounting Major Receives Coveted Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants Scholarship

Kamryn Gleeson, ’22 ΑΓΔ, who graduated from Westminster College in May with bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Administration, received an esteemed Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants (MOCPA) scholarship for the 2021-2022 academic year. This November, she and fellow recipients were honored at the MOCPA Awards Celebrations.

Gleeson was one of only 27 accounting majors in Missouri to receive the $1,000 award.

The MOCPA scholarship program is funded entirely through the generosity of MOCPA’s more than 9,000 members. The endowed scholarship eases the burden of rising tuition costs for accounting majors attending Missouri universities and helps secure the profession’s future.

Jim O’Hallaron, MOCPA president and CEO, understands the importance of investing in talented young accountants such as Gleeson.

“Each year, we are proud to award scholarships to accounting students from across Missouri to help in their journey of becoming CPAs,” he says. “The competition among the applicants is always strong. Kamryn rose to the top because of her academic achievement, demonstrated leadership and service, insightful essay, and teacher recommendation. We look forward to having Kamryn in the profession and as a member of the MOCPA community for years to come.”

Gleeson, who is originally from Fulton, Missouri, was a student member of MOCPA for two years. She not only appreciates the financial investment the organization made in her future, but she is also grateful for the professional development experience she has gained.

“I am honored to have been chosen as a recipient of the MOCPA scholarship,” she says. “Their generosity will allow me to further my accounting career beyond my initial expectations. These provided educational materials will ensure my success not only as a student, but as a business professional. I could not be more thankful and appreciative for this opportunity.”

One of Gleeson’s accounting professors at Westminster, Noel Wilbur, is proud of the recognition she received.

“Kamryn is kind, intelligent, and always ready for a challenge,” he says. “She is an overachiever amongst overachievers.”

Wilbur shares that graduates of the accounting program like Gleeson can feel confident Westminster adequately prepared them to sit for the Certified Public Accountant exam. The program also prepares students to become Certified Managerial Accountants or Certified Fraud Examiners.

“My philosophy is getting students a goal and coming up with a plan that best meets their wants,” Wilbur says. “If a student doesn’t want to work in public accounting, we have other options that will get them ready for whatever career they want.”

As for Gleeson’s time at Westminster College, she feels it more than prepared her for the next chapter in her life.

“I am beyond grateful for the connections I made within the Department of Accounting at Westminster,” she says. “Without their unwavering care and support, I surely would not be where I am today. I am very excited to see what the department will accomplish next.”