2008 NJCPA College Scholarship Recipient

2008 was a big year for me. Not only did I begin as an intern with WithumSmith+Brown while I was attending Fairleigh Dickinson University, but I was also selected as an NJCPA scholarship recipient. Receiving this scholarship and being recognized among many high achievers was such an honor.

I grew up knowing that if I wanted something, I'd have to pay for it — whether it was a cell phone, a car or a college education. As we all know, college is expensive and it is extremely daunting when your family cannot alleviate some of the financial burden. Receiving the scholarship eased some of this pressure, and I am now paying off less student loans.

A life-defining moment occurred for me at my scholarship interview when I was asked, "What do you do in your spare time?" At that time, my days and nights were filled with studying for classes and working at WithumSmith+Brown. I did some charitable activities here and there, but being asked this question really opened my eyes and made me realize that I wanted to be more involved. I used this as my driving force to become a more active volunteer, and to recruit others as volunteers as well.

One of WithumSmith+Brown's underlying core values is giving back to the community. In this spirit, since joining the firm, I have coordinated and participated in many charitable activities, such as 5K charity runs; food and clothing drives; and various events hosted by the NJCPA, such as the Young CPAs Kickball Tournament, which benefits the Valerie Fund. I was honored when Withum recognized my efforts with the Withum Community Strength award in 2011. And it was all jump-started with that simple question asked at my NJCPA scholarship interview.