Relate, Recharge, Reflect, Realize: Take the Summer Vibe Back to the Classroom!
Summer is coming to an end, and another school year is just around the corner. As students head back to the classroom, we want to pause and shine the spotlight on some unsung school heroes – school counselors! School counselors work hard every day (even over the summer!) to make sure that the students have what they need for the upcoming academic year.
One example is attendance at professional events like the annual American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Conference. The theme of the 2017 conference was Relate, Recharge, Reflect, Realize. The Discover Audit team had the chance to speak with hundreds of awesome counselors at the event held in “Colorful Colorado.”
To help counselors carry that energy back into the new school year, we want to reflect on some highlights from this year’s ASCA Conference.
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- Counselors Change Lives!
The conference kicked off on Saturday morning with Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, CPA, CGMA, Chairman of the American Institute of CPAs’ Board of Directors, who delivered remarks on behalf of Discover Audit. She expressed heartfelt gratitude to the counselors for the work that they do (yes…many of the counselors needed some tissues to wipe their tears away!), sharing her personal story of how her school counselor introduced her to accounting and helped her to get where she is today. As Kimberly explained, that counselor is still her mentor and even attended her wedding! Kimberly’s story shows just how much counselors can shape the future of students. If you come across a student who is detailed oriented, interested in the inner workings of how something functions, or attracted to business or financial markets, encourage them to check a career in audit.
- Gaming It
As a conference exhibitor, Discover Audit set up a Plinko game and also tested out counselors’ knowledge on accounting and audit trivia. Wait…Plinko? If you’re thinking of the Plinko game from “Price is Right,” you are correct! Counselors had a blast playing this classic game for a chance to win a grand prize of a $50 – $100 Staples gift card.With the school year upon us, remember some of those “fun facts” you learned from the Plinko trivia game (e.g. drones are being used now for inventory count, some of the big public accounting firms count the votes for most award shows, etc. ) and use that knowledge as a way to introduce your students to audit. Many of you were surprised by some answers and we’re sure they will be too!
- Free Classroom Resources
Many school counselors left the Discover Audit booth with some great giveaways…webcam covers, phone stands, coffee mugs and coasters, and more. But the fun doesn’t end there. We also gave counselors a Discover Audit one-pager that highlights all the FREE resources available on our website. Be sure to check out the high school toolkit (which also applies to middle school and possibly even elementary) and other interactive tools on the Discover Audit website. You can build a career presentation around them or use them in the classroom to introduce students to accounting and audit. Share them with teachers, parents, students, and other counselors. It’s a great way to showcase a career in audit! And everything is FREE.
- New Friends!
The ASCA conference was a huge success. We made a lot of new friends and look forward to staying in touch. Don’t be a stranger! Please use our resources, share our resources, and add our logo and link the Discover Audit webpage to your career center or web hubs. We want to encourage as many people as possible to discover the exciting world of public company auditing.
- Counselors Change Lives!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you have any questions, or just want to say hello, feel free to email us at discoveraudit@thecaq.org.