Members reach out to schools.

• Position: News & Trends

CalCPA's student outreach program made significant progress this past school year--more than tripling the number of CPA visits to high schools.

And members are finding out that motivating and inspiring young people to follow their career path can be a satisfying experience.

In a recent visit to Villa Nova Preparatory High School in Ojai, Pam Kelty found that the personal touch helps clear up misconceptions.

"I truly enjoy going out and speaking to the students," says Kelty, a CPA with Soares, Sandall, Bernacchi and Petrovich LLP. "I love dispelling the myth that we're all geeks and sit in a back room just crunching numbers. It's fun to let the students know what a 'people profession' we operate in."

Howard Loomis, a partner with Perisho, Tombor, Loomis & Ramirez, says this about his recent visit to Saratoga High: "I enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with the students. They were attentive and asked good questions." Plus, he adds that making the presentation was easy with the resources CalCPA provided.

CalCPA provides myriad resources for use at local schools. There's Quest magazine, CalCPA's complete source of information on CPA careers, education and licensing. Each...