Straight from the source: Members are integral to high school outreach efforts.

• Position: ReachOut - Brief Article

Steven Galet

Steven Galet, a CPA with Thyssen Krupp Elevator in Commerce, suggests that the best way to keep high school students interested is to engage them in interactive situations and to use role models and examples from the business world to which they can relate. For instance, explain to students how as CPAs they could work for famous musicians or actors such as blink-182 Freddie Prinz Jr., Sarah Michelle Cellar, Shaggy or Destiny's Child.

During his classroom presentations at Covina High School, Galet showed the 15-minute "Takin' Care of Business" video, provided a short overview of various CPA careers and engaged students in a Q&A. He also challenged advanced classes with interactive journal entries for a fast food restaurant.

Among the benefits Galet notes for members who participate in the outreach program are improved communication and organizational skills for the presenter. And, he adds, "If our profession is to survive in the future and be dynamic, we must recruit the best and the brightest young people."

Guy M. Wong

Guy M. Wong, a Sacramento-based CPA heard the call and promptly answered. "I replied to my chapter president's e-mail looking for volunteers," says Wong. As a result, Wong connected with the Sacramento Adventist Academy, which was looking for a CPA to participate in its career day.

Wong participated in a well-oiled program that was quite structured and involved students rotating through his area and asking questions. "The most common question was how many years of college does becoming a CPA require," recalls Wong.

Wong encourages other members to join the outreach effort, "Many practitioners these days are having problems hiring good employees. Outreach programs such as this can help us attract as many good students as possible."

Daniel D. Morris

Daniel D. Morris, founder of the VeraSage Institute faced an amiable audience in accounting students at Foothill Junior College in Los Altos. He challenged students to describe his typical day and they came up with:

* Spending hours on the phone;

* Nice lunches;

* Meeting with customers;

* Meeting with and assisting other firm team members; and

* Being moody. ("Of course," says Morris, "I don't think I'm moody but others might disagree, so we left it on the list.")

"When working with students," posits Morris, "we have to walk the walk that what we do is...